Disclaimer: Clearly not mine. I barely even know anything about Smallville so it couldn't have come from me.
Epiphanies
Recap: Chloe is a runaway bride from her wedding with Jimmy. She returns to Metropolis days later, resuming her life at the DP, Isis, and as part-time Watchtower, but she's changed. Determined to change her life, and get over a newly discovered unrequited love for Oliver she moves to the city and keeps everyone at a distance- especially Oliver. Slowly Oliver manages to figure the new Chloe out, finding out about her healing ability and everything that comes with it, leading him to figure out he loves her after she "dies" healing him from the gunshot. Davis is following Chloe, absolutely convinced that they should be together, but Chloe is focused on Oliver, especially after he starts waging a campaign to make her notice him as more than a friend. Lana is back in town and reconnects with Clark who still has feelings for Lois. Chloe continues to get in trouble, putting herself in danger, and Oliver has a serious problem with it. Tess finds out about Lex implanting her with the camera, leading her to make an offer to Oliver. And when Chloe goes into Suicide Slums despite Oliver's demand that she not, they fight and finally kiss. Chloe struggles to keep Oliver at bay after their kiss, thinking that his actions don't mean anything, and Tess (who's working with Oliver against Lex) tries to scare Chloe off. Oliver lays his cards on the table (minus the info that he loves Chloe) leaving her to decide if they have a future. Lois continues to meddle (with the best intentions, of course). Chloe asks for more time to work things out, and Oliver agrees to go slow. A trip to Star City reveals the Queens' involvement in Veritas. A mission goes poorly putting Clark and Oliver at odds. Lois has a breakup, Lana goes missing, Chloe goes to Lex to ask about Lana, and Chloe and Oliver are officially dating. Chloe and Oliver have a long road to the bedroom, but finally make it there.
Chapter 21
The first time Chloe wakes up, she's aware of two things. She's not at home and there is a heavy, warm weight draped over her waist. Realization is a split second behind. The intense warmth she can feel surrounding her is Oliver, his body pumping off heat that is keeping her deliciously warm and comfortable as they spooned together in his bed. The weight is his arm was slung over her waist, her back pressing against him. From the dim light streaming through Oliver's bedroom window she estimates that it's early evening. Stretching a bit to ease a slight ache that seems to encompass her whole body, she sighs. Oliver reacts in his sleep to her movement, his arm tightening around her tugging her back snugly into his body. His hand splays over her stomach before he settles back down into sleep. Chloe smiles softly and closes her eyes to join him in slumber.
The next time Chloe wakes up she is alone. The room is dark and Oliver's warmth is noticeably missing from the bed. She stretches and moans lightly as her muscles ache and the skin on her wrists and ankles pulls tight. Through the door she can hear the sounds of cupboards closing and the clank of dishes and utensils. Sitting up, Chloe looks around the dim room, lit only from the light spilling in from the partially open door, searching for her clothes. Seeing them on the floor near the bathroom, she slides out of bed and pulls on her panties. Picking up her beige linen skirt she sees a long smudge of dirt on the skirt and frowns. Not wanting to put back on dirty clothes, and not needing to since she didn't plan to leave right away, she sets it down on Oliver's dresser. Bending down she scoops up her two shirts and bra from the floor, a satisfied smile on her face as she recalls how they ended up there in the first place.
Pulling on just the light black sweater she goes into Oliver's bathroom. She grimaces playfully as she sees her reflection in the mirror. Mascara is smudged lightly under her eyes and her hair is sticking up all over. She brushes her hands through her hair and uses a tissue to wipe away the mascara. Feeling too good to be more critical of her appearance she flips off the light and exits the bedroom to seek out Oliver.
Chloe pads silently on bare feet down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen. Oliver is on the phone leaning back on the counter wearing only black silk pajama pants. Chloe stops to appreciate the view, a soft smirk on her face as she blatantly runs her eyes over his muscled body. Seeing her he raises one eyebrow, an answering smirk on his face as his eyes run over her barely dressed form as well, not missing the fact that her sweater has lighter woven stripes which are transparent against her pale skin.
"I have to go," he pauses to listen to whoever is on the phone and his smile widens even as he shakes his head. "Yes Bart, I promise that Chloe is fine. And yes, I know Lois can be…" he pauses to listen again. "Bart, I'd be careful, Lois has a way of exacting revenge and Chloe loves her cousin. Not two women I'd suggest making angry." Chloe smiles at him, walking the rest of the way into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging him and resting her chin on his chest to grin up at him. "No Bart you don't have to be Lois's personal taxi. And it's your own damn fault for giving her your number." Oliver's free hand roams down Chloe's back to palm her ass. "This conversation is over Bart. Let this be a lesson to you. Giving your number to every hot woman you meet can have unfortunate consequences." He hangs up without saying goodbye and sets the phone down, bringing his hand back up to cup her face.
"Hello Gorgeous," he says as his thumb strokes over her cheek.
"Hmm," she smiles. "Look who's talking." Her hands slide up his sides, enjoying the feel of his muscled torso. Oliver leans down to kiss her, his hand moving away from her face to slide down her chest. He unerringly finds her nipple through her shirt, flicking it lightly before his hand continues down to her hips. He squeezes a handful of her ass then slides his hand back up, pausing to retrace the curve of her waist before continuing up under her shirt, to cup her breast, kneading the ripe flesh lightly.
Chloe leans against him, her body melting into his fully as their tongues swirl around each other's. When he finally breaks the kiss, Chloe lays her head over his heart, staying in his arms as his hands continue to stroke her lightly. He can feel her smile and abandons her breast to tilt her face back up to his. Her eyes are gleaming and her lips are compressed to hold back her words.
"What?" he asks, his own expression light and happy. She shakes her head, biting her lip but he can see she is seconds away from laughter, whatever she was thinking was highly amusing to her. He narrows his eyes playfully and pinches her butt, causing her to jump, pressing her body tighter against his. He keeps her there with a firm hold at her waist. "What?" he demands.
Her smile breaks free and she tilts her head up at him. "Nothing. Just wondering if you consider yourself more of a boob or butt man?"
He smirks down at her shaking his head. He twists quickly, lifting her onto the counter and cupping both her breasts before sliding his hands around to grab hold of her ass. He pulls her into his body, her legs splaying around him comfortably. "Doesn't matter." His head dips down to nibble kisses across her exposed collarbone and neck.
"Why?" she questions, laughing lightly even as she feels arousal coil low in her stomach.
"Because you have both and I have you."
Her small hands cup around his jaw, her thumbs stroking the dimple in his chin. "So are you going to feed me actual food or are we just pretending?" she teases, nodding towards his kitchen island which he had set with plates, silverware, wine glasses and an bottle of wine opened to allow it to breathe.
"Food…which should be here any minute now."
"At risk of expanding your already overly large ego, I have to say, you might just be perfect."
He is saved from answering by a chime from his computer notifying them that the food had arrived.
CO-CO-CO
As soon as they finish dinner Oliver plucks Chloe off the bar stool chair she was sitting in and sets her on the kitchen island counter. Chloe feels a thrill of anticipation and a deeply feminine enjoyment that he was so much stronger and bigger than her making her feel small, feminine and delicate. He strips her clothes off without a fuss, and Chloe reaches out to tug on the tie of his pajama pants. She knew she couldn't rival Oliver for experience, but she wouldn't be a passive participant in their lovemaking. His pants slip to the floor and he steps out of them easily.
His hands skim up her thighs to pull her to the edge of the island. "I hope you weren't planning on sleeping tonight," Oliver says arrogantly.
"And if I was?" she replies easily as she wraps her legs around his waist and runs her hands up his chest, her fingers circling his nipples.
"Let me persuade you to my way of thinking," he murmurs as his hands cover her breasts, teasing her nipples.
"I think I could be persuaded," she gasps, arching into his touch. With her legs wrapped around him, she rubs her heated core against his straining erection with deadly precision. Oliver tenses his muscles, striving for control as pleasure washes over him, battering at his intention to take his time with her.
Chloe cups her hands around his neck drawing his mouth to hers for a kiss, then moves her mouth to his ear. "Ollie. In case you didn't notice, I don't need much foreplay right now." He can feel the truth of her statement, her wet folds rubbing over his erection temptingly. "You can impress me, again, later. For right now, I just need you." She continues rubbing against him insistently as her words tear away his better intentions. "Inside me."
Oliver is a very skillful and practiced lover, and he fully intends to give Chloe the benefit of his expertise, but not now, not this time, maybe not even the next few times. He can't focus enough to recall any particular moves, he can only feel and respond. His hands firm on her hips holding her in place as glides into her in one long thrust. A soft keening sound escapes Chloe as he slides home inside of her, then begins to move steadily in and out, drawing gasps of pleasure from her and a few grunts from him.
His hands hold her chest pressed firmly to his, his hips setting a quick rhythm. Chloe knows he's holding back, being gentle for her sake, but she doesn't want that. Her teeth nip at his neck before biting down harder on his shoulder. Oliver groans, losing his rhythm as pain and pleasure white out his mind. She sucks at the small wound, taking away the pain and he grunts her name. Giving up his last bit of control he plunges wildly into her, a hard hand at the small of her back jerking her forward to meet each of his thrusts. Her wild cries of pleasure tell him that she is enjoying his loss of control as much as he is.
CO-CO-CO
Lying in bed next to Chloe later, he smiles and strokes her back gently trying not to wake her but unable to resist touching the expanse of pale skin before him. He feels at ease for the first time in awhile. His relationship with Chloe wasn't exactly what he wanted it to be, but he thought they would get there. A few clichéd phrases pop into his mind. 'Life is a journey not a destination,' and 'Nothing worth having in life comes easy.'
Oliver couldn't say he had enjoyed each step of the journey with Chloe, and it certainly hadn't been easy. There had been good and bad moments. Her pushing him away for no apparent reason. He frowns as he recalls he still didn't know why she'd suddenly wanted little to do with him after her wedding. Waking up to find her near death on his chest. Realizing that somewhere along the line he'd fallen completely in love with his Sidekick, and then realizing that she was nowhere near to returning his feelings. Fumbling for weeks, trying to get closer to her, only to find himself categorized as a friend. He smiles as he recalls Hal's plan and Hal's mockery. Each startled look Chloe gave him as he began breaching her personal space, letting her know that he saw her. Their first kiss on the roof of a slum in Suicide Heights. Chloe's hasty retreat afterwards. Finally telling her point blank that he wanted a relationship with her, then waiting for her to work through her fears and come to him. But if all that had led to this moment, her sleeping in his bed, pressed close to his body, then the journey so far had been worth it. More than worth it.
Oliver wanted more, but he knew he shouldn't push her to get it. He had to give her time, prove himself to her, and let her figure things out for herself. He didn't know if he would be able to wait for long, but he was determined to try. Being with Chloe was the best thing he'd ever experienced. She was truly his partner in life. Oliver wanted to believe he was a good man, but he didn't feel quite worthy of her. Chloe had a purity of spirit that he could never hope to emulate. She probably deserved better than a spoiled playboy who had indulged his every whim for years. But Oliver was selfish enough to want to keep her. There was no one better in his eyes than Chloe. And while he might not be the best man for her, he vowed to love her the best that he could.
Oliver savors the moment, feeling ease, comfort, and intimacy. Oliver had had a lot of partners in his life, but rarely did they last more than a night or two, and of those Oliver had lingered in bed with only a few. Lois had always had somewhere to be, something to do. Mercy had started to put up defensive walls as soon as they'd returned to civilization. The rest Oliver had had no interest in laying about with them. There was no reason.
For Oliver sex had always been about fun, liking, warmth and friendship, but rarely intimacy. He'd learned to live within his own headspace since his parents had died. He'd always felt alone, even when surrounded by a crowd. He liked women, enjoyed their company, but only on a very few occasions had he allowed anything more than liking, desire and an easy friendship to develop. None of that was true for Chloe. Chloe was a unique experience for Oliver.
She had discovered his secret identity on her own, helped him, but never asked anything from him. Even the request for satellite data had been Clark's, though it was couched in a lie that it was for Chloe's article on Dark Thursday. She knew him, his secrets, what drove him. She had access to his life, to his money, his resources, and never had used them for anything selfish or for personal gain.
He smiles affectionately, recalling that she still acted awkwardly anytime he gave her a gift. Even something as small as a cup of coffee earned him a big smile, effusive thanks, and a general ill at ease regard.
Chloe was unique and Oliver was in love with her. He'd had to bite back the words several times that night. He'd never thought he was one of those people who declared their love during sex, but apparently with Chloe he was. Oliver considers that and decides he doesn't mind. He was comfortable with loving Chloe, accepted it completely. Now if only he could convince her of his love and that she loved him back.
Oliver sighs deeply, pushing the sheet down farther to reveal her cute rounded bare bottom and smiles. Chloe was a tough nut to crack, but as his hand slides over the tempting curve of her hip causing her to murmur his name in her sleep, Oliver knows that she's worth it.
CO-CO-CO
At the Daily Planet the next day Chloe has to contend with extreme sleepiness and a sense of euphoria that led to random uncontrollable smiling. That also meant she had to deal with Clark's suspicious and judgmental gazes about her sleepiness and smiling, Lois's knowing glances alternating with Lois's abject apologies, and Oliver's constant check ins. He asks if she's feeling alright, if her wrists hurt, and inquires none too subtly about her current stories and on and on.
The only dark spot on the day is that Lana is still missing and Chloe is worried. If Lex had merely sent her to an out of the way location to teach her a lesson and keep her occupied, she would have called by now. Clark comes back into the bullpen, sitting at his desk with an air of defeat and Chloe settles her hand on his shoulder. "It's only been a few days Clark. Maybe she just lost her phone. Or maybe Lex sent her somewhere without cell service," she tries to reassure him.
"I'm worried. It's been too long. And I'm sorry I was gone when you needed me," he says his voice heavy with guilt and concern.
"I'm fine," Chloe reassures him. "Really, a few cuts and bruises. Hardly a blip on the Chloe Sullivan radar." He smiles back at her wanly. "Clark, I-"
"Yeah Plaid-master, prince of primary colors, guy most in need of a shopping intervention, Chlo is fine. Super fine in Oliver's opinion," Lois interrupts with a mocking grin. She looks more concerned when she sees the marks on Chloe's wrists again, completely disregarding that she had a matching set and a black eye as a extra memento. "I really am sorry Chlo."
"No biggie Lo."
"Somehow I doubt Oliver is going to let me off the hook so easily," Lois says, then brightens up. "Not that he'll be able to resist the Lane charm for long," she states with characteristic overconfidence, then rubs her jaw which is slightly discolored and swollen.
Lois keeps rambling, Clark arguing with her half-heartedly, but Chloe is distracted. She smiles dreamily as she remembers Oliver giving her coffee in bed that morning as her wake up call. Coffee, naked Oliver, and morning sex. Chloe wasn't sure there had ever been a more perfect morning.
CO-CO-CO
At Queen Tower, Oliver is also smiling hazily as he looks out the window at the panoramic view of Metropolis including the Daily Planet.
Tess enters his office, the door banging against the wall and Oliver's secretary, Peggy, following closely on her heels. "Oliver. It's common curtsey to return calls. I know it must be hard for you, considering how many calls from your floozies that you duck, but business associates expect a little more prefessionalism."
Oliver spins in his chair to face his former lover, his happy smile fading quickly to a bland mask. "We're OK Peggy. Please hold my calls for…" he looks at Tess consideringly, "five minutes."
Tess looks annoyed, glaring at Oliver. "Where were you yesterday? We had an appointment."
"Something came up. You know how business is."
"What I know is that I'm putting my neck on the line for you, and you can't even return my calls," Tess complains.
Oliver looks bored and disinterested. "We're the only two here, so let's drop the false theatrics. You're not doing this for me. You're doing it to get even with Lex. And you went to work for him to get even with me, so let's not pretend that this is motivated by anything other than your own ego and self interest."
Tess's expression tightens. "Fine. I suppose this was a wasted trip then, since I have nothing to gain by telling you the whereabouts of Lana Luthor née Lang."
Oliver's expression tenses as he looks back at Tess. "This had better not be a ploy."
"Of course not Oliver. You'd make me out to be a monster," her smile is hard.
Oliver suffers through Tess's self aggrandizing version of the story, including how she'd attempted to dissuade Lana from pursuing any of Lex's projects but especially this one which was closely monitored by Lex himself.
"If that's true, then why am I just now hearing about this project?"
Tess shrugs off the question. "Lex has lots of projects, I can hardly relay information about all of them."
Oliver's jaw tightens. "Cut the crap Mercy. Where is Lana?"
A few minutes later Clark receives a call at the Daily Planet and with a speaking look at Chloe races out.
At Queen Industries' offices, Oliver drags Tess out of the building with him, easily lifting her cell phone off of her much to her annoyance. "I don't see why I have to go with you," she complains.
"You're coming because I don't trust you to be out of my sight."
Tess smirks. "If you want my company Oliver, all you have to do is say so," she flirts as she cozies up to his chest.
Oliver pushes her back forcefully, his dispassionate expression in stark contrast to her ardent one.
CO-CO-CO
In a small warehouse in Minneapolis, Lana is standing over a computer watching an animation of the Prometheus Suit. Dr. Groll is at her side, speaking concisely about the suit's capabilities. "This can't fall into Lex's hands doctor. I know you're aware of his darker nature. If Lex were to achieve this kind of power, we would all suffer."
Dr. Groll looks at the pretty young woman before him. "You've convinced me Mrs. Luthor." He appears troubled. "Some of the projects LuthorCorp is running are beyond the limits of what science should do. After World War II, rules were set to protect humanity from itself. The exploitation of people by these projects certainly qualifies as crimes against humanity in my books."
"It's Lang, but you can call me Lana." She smiles gently, her doe-eyed beauty and gentle tone of voice sooth the doctor's nerves. "Lex has no problem exploiting or killing anyone, as long as he gets what he wants."
"Are you sure we shouldn't just destroy the project?" he asks nervously.
"No. This suit has amazing promise. A hero to stand on the side of the innocent against monsters like Lex and his father." She smiles but her eyes are serious. "I have trained and learned discipline. You can trust me with your creation, Doctor. I will make you proud."
He nods and they turn back to the screens. "The process to implement the nanotechnology into the body is not a pleasant one, Ms. Lang, Lana."
"I can handle it," Lana says gravely.
Suddenly there is an explosion and Lex enters the room surrounded by several heavily armed men dressed all in black.
"Lana," Lex exclaims with sarcastic non-surprise. "I didn't expect you to get this far." He turns to the doctor who has gone pale as sweat beads on his forehead and upper lip. "And you Doctor. You were quite a talent, but I can't have people working for me that are willing to betray me for a pretty face and their ideals. And unfortunately for both of you, I don't leave loose ends."
The guards seize both Lana and the doctor. Lana glares at him, her eyes full of hate. "What are you going to do Lex? Kill me? Won't that look suspicious, your ex-wife showing up dead at a LuthorCorp facility?"
"This facility doesn't exist, for LuthorCorp or anyone else. And who said I was going to kill you?" he grabs her chin between his thumb and forefingers, forcing her head back. "Don't insult my intelligence Lana. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead, and no one, no one, would find the body." He releases her and steps back, his demeanor completely calm. "Unless I wanted them too. I suppose Chloe would miss you. And dear Aunt Nell. They'd feel bad. But, really, I'd be doing them a favor. Nell loves you. I suppose she'd miss you," he pauses again contemplatively. "Or is it that she'd miss living vicariously through you? I've always thought she saw you as only a projection of herself."
He shrugs, then continues. "But I'd be doing Chloe a favor. She'd never tell you, but you're a drain on her Lana. You take and take but you never give anything back. Not that she would blame you for it, you see Chloe is smart enough to know that you have nothing of value to offer her, but too kind to ever actually speak the brutal truth. But don't cry, you still have Clark," he smirks as the guards take the doctor out of the room and carry Lana back farther into the lab. "He's still blind enough to see you as the perfect untouched girl he knew when you were children. Or maybe not, maybe he's starting to see the cracks in your carefully crafted façade. I wonder how long it would be before he forgot about you."
Lana's eyes fill with tears. "No need to cry Lana. I'm not going to kill you. The truth is, you just don't matter enough to me to go through the effort."
"You're letting me go?" she sounds relieved, but also angry at being dismissed.
"I didn't say that. You came all this way after all."
CO-CO-CO
The QI jet lands at a private airstrip outside Minneapolis. Oliver stuffs a sputtering Tess into a waiting car which whisks her away then turns to see Clark standing before him.
"Why'd you bring her?" Clark questions.
"Tess always holds back information. For example, she just told me this facility is full of meteor rock." Oliver and Clark both know what that means: Clark can't help. "I called Bart. He's already at the facility, checking out the security." Oliver picks up a bag at his feet and strides towards the hangar behind where they are standing. "I'll get changed and you can give me a lift." Clark looks upset. "Don't worry Clark, if she's here, I'll get her."
Clark walks alongside Oliver. "Thanks Oliver. I know that we-"
"Don't mention it Clark. I know you'd do the same for me." Clark looks confused. "With Chloe," Oliver clarifies.
Clark looks slightly constipated at the idea that the task of rescuing Chloe would belong to anyone but him. "Of course. But then I'm in the habit of rescuing Chloe."
"Then I owe you. If you hadn't of been around to save Chloe from her many misadventures, I never would have met her." Oliver smiles confidently at Clark, slapping him on the back.
CO-CO-CO
Immediately upon entering the area housing the Promethious Suit project, Oliver fires off two knock out gas arrows. Lex hits the ground, covering his mouth as he tries to stave off the darkness. He sees the Green Arrow standing in front of him. "You!"
"Me," Oliver replies with a grin.
"Tess," Lex growls. Oliver's grin hardens a bit. "Only two people knew about this facility, myself and Tess.
Oliver looks around at the many guards and white-coated lab techs littering the floor. "Looks like a lot more than two to me." Tired of waiting for the gas to work on Lex, Oliver delivers a punishing punch to Lex's temple, knocking him out.
Oliver picks his way through the rooms, talking to Bart over the radio. The outside guards were still unconscious, but Bart was anxious to leave. Bart zips through the facility over and over, carrying guards to one locked room and doctors to another, locking them up safely until Victor and AC arrive to destroy the facility entirely.
"Is she there?" Clark asks anxiously over the radio, his transmission going over the top of Bart's status report.
Oliver looks around, still not seeing Lana, but not wanting to answer until he was sure. Seeing a large clear tank full of green liquid, Oliver steps closer. Through the murky fluid, he sees the faint outline of a body. "Damn it," he exclaims softly as he sets down his bow. Leaning over the tank he hesitates momentarily before taking a deep breath and reaching inside. His hand closes over a small soft arm and he pulls the body of Lana Lang upwards through the meteor rock solution. Satisfied that she at least has an oxygen mask covering her face, Oliver lays her on the floor and checks for a pulse. Finding one he sighs with relief. "Affirmative Boy Scout. She's alive." Oliver refrains from telling Clark she was unconscious and had been immersed in meteor rock.
Oliver sights a safety chemical shower in the corner and sets the girl under it, pulling the string to start the wash, putting his own arm in the stream of water trying to remove all traces of the green goop from his skin.
CO-CO-CO
Back at the small private airport, Oliver can hear Tess yelling as soon as Clark and Bart come to a halt with their passengers. Bart was carrying Lana, while Clark had ran Ollie back, since Clark had collapsed as soon as Oliver had gotten near him with the still unconscious girl in his arms.
Clark looks angry and upset his gaze focused on Lana as Oliver instructs Bart to put her on the plane. "I'll take care of her Clark. Go home, brief Emil. We'll get through this." Clark nods and with one last mournful look at the plane, he disappears in a puff of wind.
With a grin and a nod at Oliver, Bart races back to the facility to keep an eye on things until Victor and AC arrive.
Lana remains unconscious throughout the trip home.
CO-CO-CO
Back in Metropolis, Oliver is met at the airport by Emil and an ambulance. Oliver follows the ambulance to Emil's private offices in the Laura Queen Research Wing of Metropolis General Hospital.
As the team surrounding the stretcher holding Lana makes it to the main hallway, Oliver sees Chloe and Clark waiting for them.
Chloe looks up at Oliver with shining eyes once he gets close to her. "Hey you."
"Hey," he greets her back.
"Have I mentioned how wonderful I think you are?" she says softly.
Oliver pretends to think about it, his head tilting to the side as he strokes his chin, while simultaneously slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a long hug. "No… I don't believe you have."
"How remiss of me," she teases but her eyes are full of sorrow as she looks from Oliver over to Clark who is standing outside the glass window separating them from the exam room. Even though he is several yards away from Lana, he is visibly shaky and weakened by the exposure to Kryptonite. Kryptonite that had in all likelihood soaked deep into Lana's body.
"She'll be OK," Chloe says positively, though her tone was far from convincing.
Oliver rubs her back and holds her closer, seeing Clark's grief and worry etched on his face. "Emil is the best at what he does. We have to believe that she'll recover. Besides if Lex wanted her dead, she would be," Oliver says logically.
Chloe frowns, remembering how they all were a few short years ago. So young and hopeful. So unaware of what their lives would become, of the depth of darkness that would envelope Lex, tilting all their lives into shadow.
CO-CO-CO
Emil finishes his examination of Lana, concluding that her vitals are stable, and leaves to begin performing an extensive battery of blood tests to find out what Lex did to her. Chloe brushes back Lana's dark hair from her abnormally pale forehead, and leans down to press a kiss to it. "Clark's just outside. You're safe now." Lana doesn't wake up as Chloe keeps talking to her, murmuring reassuring words.
Oliver is waiting for Chloe at the door, watching her with sympathetic dark eyes. Chloe looks miserable and on the verge of tears. Oliver feels his rage and anger at Lex well up. His face tightens with dark purpose. Someone has to stop him. Oliver was all too aware that Lex had the reach to get to any of them, including Chloe. Seeing Clark suffer as Lana was the victim, once again, of Clark's former best friend's machinations, Oliver knows that Clark is still not able or willing to make the decision to rid the world of Lex's evil.
Chloe makes a visible effort to lighten her expression as she walks towards him and Oliver accepts her outstretched hand and squeezes it in comfort. Chloe says a brief goodbye to a silent Clark and exits the hospital hand in hand with Oliver.
Outside they see a group of children playing tag on the hospital lawn. Oliver frowns wondering if Lex ever had a chance with Lionel as a father. Their lives were so interwoven, intersecting in conspiracy, violence and tragedy. Lionel had killed Oliver's parents, leaving him an orphan at the tender age of nine, but Oliver suspected he'd been luckier than Lex. At least he'd known his parents had loved him. At least he hadn't been abandoned to a monster like Lionel.
"Ollie?" Chloe's soft voice calls him from his musings.
"Yeah, Sidekick?" He looks down at her heart shaped face and feels his heart clench.
"You OK?"
"Sure," he says lightly and tilts her chin up so he can press a brief kiss to her soft full mouth.
He smiles as her eyes glow with happiness an humor, pushing the shadows back to the edges for just a moment. "You sure? You looked a little constipated there for a minute?"
He arches both eyebrows in amused derision, squeezing her closer to his side with the protective arm he has draped around her waist.
"That's funny." Her smile grows. "You're very funny."
She quirks her lips. "Sometimes." Oliver dips his head down again to kiss her, unable to resist.
A set of dark brown eyes watch as the new couple walk towards the parking lot, wrapped up in each other, neither noticing that they had an avid audience. Davis feels rage and despair rise up from within himself, and absently pops several anti-psychotic pills into his mouth, dry swallowing them as his fists clench in an effort to contain his dark emotions.
CO-CO-CO
Lying in Oliver's bed that night, Chloe can't help but run her hand lightly over his shoulder and bicep. He's warm and solid, and somehow that soothes her battered emotions. She's still a little amazed that she is there with him, in his bed, naked and satiated.
Oliver is also taking the opportunity to touch her, reassuring himself that for the moment at least she was safe. His hand skims along her back, sliding into her silky soft hair before traveling back down again.
"You alright there Tower? You've been awfully quiet for more than five minutes."
She presses her lower lip out in a pout even though he can't see it with her face pressed into his chest as she lies half across him. "I'll have you know I can be quiet." Oliver is silent. "I can. I spend long periods of each day quiet while I'm writing or researching." He's still silent so she adjusts her position so she can angle her head up to see his expression. His mocking and amused expression. "I can. Are you saying I have a big mouth? I'll have you know-"
He cuts her off with a kiss, tickling her side for good measure. "I love your mouth Chloe. I would never say anything bad about it." She tries not to smile as she tilts an "oh really" look his way. He shifts so that they are lying on their sides facing each other. "But if you think you're quiet while you work, you obviously haven't been paying attention to yourself."
"What?" she says indignantly.
His eyes gleam as he smiles at her. "It's cute really."
"What is cute?" she grounds out.
"You. Talking to yourself. Or muttering usually. But it's always something."
"I do not," she grumbles under her breath.
She pouts her lip out again and Oliver cups her chin and swipes his thumb over it. "Like I said. Cute."
From downstairs the her laptop emits a single tone, signaling that something she had set for notification had occurred. Her pout grows and she takes a deep breath before releasing it with a sigh. She leans in to kiss Oliver quickly before trying to get out of bed without just standing up naked before him. He grins as she struggles with the sheet, first trying to get it unwrapped from around her feet then trying to pull it free so she could wrap it around herself for modesty's sake.
After a few seconds of watching her, he gets out of bed, completely comfortable with his nakedness and grabs one of his button up shirts from his closet. She stops to watch, admiring his tone form, then glares at him as he rips the sheet out of her hands leaving her naked for the second it takes him to settle the shirt over her shoulders. She maintains her glare at him as he takes his time buttoning the shirt. She resists complaining or slapping his hands away, which just deepens his amusement.
As soon as he finishes with the last button she spins and stomps out of the room with her chin held high. As she reaches her laptop, she forgets her annoyance and focuses on the alert. Oliver steps up behind her, easily reading over her shoulder.
It's a police bulletin. An unknown number of victims had been found slaughtered and dismembered at a known drug house on the edge of Cedar Creek, a middle class neighborhood on the outskirts of Metropolis.
"He's back," Chloe says bleakly.
Oliver presses a kiss to her temple and punches in a text to Clark to check it out.
"But he's with Lana," Chloe protests.
"He needs something to do, a distraction. Sitting there waiting for Lana to wake up when he can't even be in the room with her without falling over is not good for him. It wouldn't be good for anyone." Chloe nods briefly, her happiness from just a few minutes before long forgotten. Oliver keeps talking as he finishes the text and pulls up the satellite trajectory for one of QI's new orbiters. He tasks it to be over Metropolis the next night. "Her aunt is with her, and I have plenty of security onsite to keep Lex far away."
CO-CO-CO
When Oliver returns to his office the next morning, he finds an incensed Tess waiting for him. "You left me in Minnesota, Oliver. Minnesota. What the hell is that? I try to help you and your pathetic little friend, and you repay me by leaving me behind?"
Oliver smirks. "Lana was injured. I had to get her medical attention."
"We are done Oliver, done," she spits at him venomously. "Do you hear me? Our deal is off."
"I know," Oliver replies blandly. "Lex knew you were betraying him the moment I arrived." Tess pales noticeably. "Our deal was based on what you could deliver. And it was a fun ride while it lasted." Oliver's tone lacks any sympathy. "I'll make sure you have enough to live comfortably for several years. Consider it a profit sharing from the information you passed on that was actually helpful."
"You're just going to send me away?"
"You're the one who said our deal is off. I think my offer is more than generous. But it is contingent on you getting out of Metropolis and out of my life." Tess looks stunned that Oliver was being so hard-hearted towards her. "Did you think I would tolerate you interfering in my private life, Mercy?" His voice is chilling. "I'll transfer enough to get you set up elsewhere, you pick where, as long as it isn't here or Star City. Or any city that I own a home or maintain significant business holdings. Then each month you'll receive an electronic payment. As long as you keep out of my life and my business, you'll continue to receive compensation. Let's say two years."
"You can't be serious!"
"I am."
"But if Lex knows… he'll come after me, Oliver. He'll kill me."
He thinks that she sounds sincerely scared. He feels a twinge of concern, a shadow of guilt pass through him. It's just not enough to make him care. Not enough to make him offer his help. She'd had no problem trampling over people's rights and lives as Lex's lackey. No problem with the destruction she and Lex left in their wake. No problem until it was her caught in the crosshairs. "I'd say that you should lay low then. You knew who he was when you went to work for him. You knew all along what type of criminal you had dedicated your life to. What did you expect the outcome to be?"
CO-CO-CO
Chloe smiles as she stands over Lana's prone form the next day. Her friend was groggy but awake. The prognosis was good and possibly very bad. Lana was alive. Vitals stable. No damage to her brain or internal organs that Emil could see. The bad news was she had been injected and soaked with liquefied meteor rock. She had high levels of it in her blood. Higher than anyone Emil had tested to date.
He thought a mutation was inevitable. It could manifest as an ability, or multiple abilities. Or her body could treat the meteor rock toxicity as an illness and she could develop an autoimmune disease or cancer. There was really no way of knowing, and no way of removing all of the kryptonite from her body as it had already worked its way into each of her organs, from her skin to her heart and brain.
But despite the looming unknown, Lana seems most upset that Lex had outsmarted her once again, and her toxicity meant Clark couldn't come near her. Emil had her set up for dialysis that afternoon to remove any loose molecules of the green rock from her blood, but it would take weeks, possibly a few months, for the levels of the rock in her body to diminish so that Clark could be near her comfortably, if at all.
"It'll be alright Lana. You'll figure it out, you always do. If you and Clark really love each other, you'll find a way." Lana cries silently, her body wracked with sobs as Clark listens from around the corner. "Why'd you do it Lana? Why did you go after Lex? You knew what he was capable of."
"I know," Lana replies in her whispery soft voice. "I couldn't risk him completing it. Not this project. You don't know how dangerous it is."
"Actually I do," Chloe's voice loses some of it's comforting softness. "I do because the people who rescued you, my friends, brought back the specs. If you thought it was so dangerous, why didn't you bring it to Clark or me? You know we have the means of destroying Lex's projects."
Lana stops crying and looks hurt the Chloe is questioning her. "I just couldn't let him win, not again. Not after everything. And I thought… I thought if I had powers too, that Clark and I would be equals. That we could fight Lex together. Be together. Make sure that Lex got what he deserves."
Chloe frowns. Lana was focused too much on Lex. He'd said she was obsessed. Chloe wasn't sure she would go that far, but clearly as much as Lana wanted to be with Clark, she wasn't able to let go of Lex and her painful past. Chloe holds her tongue and lets Lana ramble on about what Lex had done to her, and how much she wanted to make things work with Clark, and how the meteor rocks that had taken her parents from her were now taking Clark too. Never once did she take responsibility for any of her choices.
Chloe frowns and wonders if holding onto the past was holding her back too. She knows she has trust issues, knew those issues were keeping her from really letting herself commit to Oliver. She looks at Lana, beautiful despite her current illness. Lana was stuck and didn't even appear to know it. Chloe didn't want to be stuck. She just wasn't sure she was strong enough to let go.
Words 7252
AN- Ok there is a hole in my story here, logic would say that something important would be revealed to either Tess, Lex or both based on events here, especially if they happen to talk to each other. Can you guess what it is?
Sorry for the sporadic posting lately. Would that I were independently wealthy. But I won't dwell, I'll just be bitter.