Chapter 8

"Have you ever realised how many violent sayings there are?"

Oliver was halfway through taking off his Green Arrow gear when Tess spoke. "Tess? You scared me half to death. What are you doing here?"

"There's 'I'm going to kill you if you did that. And I'll die if I don't see this. And don't move and I won't hurt you. And I'm sure there are others. I just can't seem to remember them right now. She sat on his green lounge nursing a glass tumbler of what looked like brandy. A half empty bottle sat opposite her on the coffee table. She'd obviously been there for a while. The bottle had been three quarters full when Oliver left that morning. Her mascara had run black –grey rivers down her pale face and she looked up at him expecting an answer.

"How long have you been here?" It was past midnight. Oliver flicked on the lights so he could see better.

She shrugged. "5, 6, maybe 7 o'clock."

Oliver moved the brandy bottle and sat opposite her. She didn't look up. "What happened?"

She looked up, tears in her eyes. "Don't you remember what day it is?"

Oliver mentally went through the days that would make Tess act like this. He slowly realised. "The day we met."

Tess nodded slowly. "Yep. The day my life went to pieces."

Oliver put on a mock-affronted look. "I'm not that bad am I?"

Tess rolled her eyes but didn't chastise him. She was well aware humour was how he coped. "Not any more you're not."

"If you want we can grab the jet and go down to Megan's grave." Oliver offered.

She smiled and leant back in the lounge. "That would be nice." Her eyes fluttered close. "Maybe I'll stay in New Orleans too. It's supposed to be nice this time of year."

"You must be really drunk. You're vocabulary is suffering. Maybe I should cut you off." He joked then realised what she said. "Why would you want to leave Metropolis?"

She shrugged again. "Clark doesn't value my opinion. He took Cat's side when she was accusing me of being Lex so he obviously doesn't trust me."

Oliver shook his head confused. "Clark trusts you. He's said so millions of times. He persuaded me to trust you."

"Actions speak louder than words." Tess said morosely.

"Tess..."

"Don't look at me like that." She snapped. "I should have seen it coming."

"If you talk about it maybe you'll see that he didn't mean it." Oliver suggested.

She stood up, a swaying a little. "So he didn't mean it when he said he'll think about setting boundaries between me and Jonathan, so I wouldn't take Lois' place."

Oliver looked up at her. She was nearly crying again and Tess Mercer rarely cried. It made him want to go find some green kryptonite and punch Clark. She was family now. "You're not trying to take Lois' place. I don't think Clark would have said that."

"Well he did." She replied coldly.

"OK so we'll look into a place in New Orleans for you tomorrow."

"Can't we go now? I don't wanna stay where no one trusts me" She was starting to slur her words. Oliver caught her as she stumbled.

"The only place you're going is bed." He told her, picking her up.

"I'm not that drunk." She grumbled.

Oliver smiled. There's my spitfire. "You haven't been drinking for a year. Your system isn't used to it so you're gonna sleep it off and then tomorrow we're gonna go down to Megan's grave."

"Kay." She snuggled into his shoulder as he made the trip to the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He made to leave but she grabbed his wrist. "Stay. I don't want to be alone."

Oliver sighed and climbed into the bed. He couldn't resist those eyes. He'd swear she taught Jonathan how to do them too. "You're gonna yell at me in the morning," He told her.

"No I won't." She replied sleepily, rolling into him.

Oliver tucked an arm around her. "I'll hold you to that." He said to her sleeping form. As soon as he was sure she was asleep, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his mobile from the lounge room. He quickly texted Clark: Tess is safe. You screwed up big time. Don't go looking for her. Pressing send, he walked back to the bedroom and hoped back into bed. Maybe when she's not drunk I'll be able to talk her out of leaving.

Five hours later Oliver walked into his en suite carrying a cup of coffee and a glass of water. "Finished taking your trip down the porcelain highway?"

Tess looked up from her spot on the floor. "Coffee." She reached for the cup but he held the water instead.

"Water first."

She glared at him but chugged back the water in a few gulps. "Coffee now."

He handed her the cup. "Well I'm going back to bed for a few hours. There's breakfast in the kitchen if you're hungry."

Tess groaned, holding her stomach. "Don't mention food."

Oliver took pity on her and left the room. A whoosh of air let him know that he wasn't alone. "Clark."

"Oliver." Clark replied curtly. "Where is she?"

"Oliver, do you have…" Tess trailed off as she saw Clark through the doorway.

Clark took in what he was seeing. Tess wore nothing but of Oliver's T shirts and her hair and makeup was dishevelled. Oliver looked equally worse for wear, wearing only boxers. The king sized bed was obviously slept in by two people. His mind jumped to a rash conclusion. "You son of a…"

Oliver realised what Clark was thinking. "Clark, whoa man. Nothing happened. I swear."

Clark stalked towards him, grabbing him by the throat. "She was upset and you took advantage of her." He growled angrily.

"No he didn't." Tess stormed towards him. "If you waited 2 seconds before blindly accusing Oliver he would have told you that I was drunk so I stayed. I didn't sleep with him. So put him down." She enunciated the last words, her voice lowering dangerously.

Clark put Oliver down. "Tess I-"

"Save it Clark. I heard what you said last night." She spat at him. "I don't think we need to discuss it any further. I won't burden you any longer." She turned to go but he sped in front of her, effectively blocking her exit.

"No listen to me. I didn't mean it. I was trying to get rid of Cat."

"What about when she accused me of being Lex? You didn't say anything!" She yelled at him. Oliver backed silently into the bathroom. They needed privacy and he had no place in this argument.

"I was trying to keep the peace. I have to work with Cat." Clark answered exasperated. Why was it so hard to communicate with women? It never goes well.

"And what, you don't have to live with me? Because you can just kick me out when you feel like it?"

"No! I-"He couldn't think of what to say. "I need you."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "I thought you needed to work with Cat."

"I-"Clark was getting seriously tongue twisted. Everything he tried to say came out wrong. "It's not like that. I need you to help me with Jonathan."

"Because I'm just the hired help aren't I? My opinion is inferior to yours."

"That's not what I meant!" Clark exploded. Tess flinched and backed away from him. "Tess, I'm sorry." He said at her scared, doe eyed expression. "I was trying to get rid of Cat; you know how she can be. I didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out."

"Because you don't trust me."

"I trust you. I told you that." Clark ran a hand through his hair. How can I explain this to her?


"Actions speak louder than words, Clark. What you didn't wasn't trust. You're thinking about setting boundaries for me aren't you?" She distortedly parroted his words from the previous night.

"I didn't mean it like that."

She threw at lamp at his head which he easily dodged. "Stop saying you didn't meant it!" She screamed furiously.

"I'm sorry, ok? I was an idiot. I don't know what I'm doing half the time. I just know that I need you. You're the one constant in my life since everything went to pieces."

"Cut the sweet talk Kent. It doesn't work on me." She tried to push past him but it was like trying to move a steal wall with bare hands. "Move!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're going to disappear on us. On Jonathan. I can't let you do that."

She raised an eyebrow. "You can't let me?"

He backtracked quickly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You seem to be saying that a lot."

"I meant you can't do that to Jonathan. He loves you." Clark looked her in the eyes. She looked away. His eyes were too similar to Jonathan's. "And you love him."

"I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted." Tess told him.

"You are wanted. Jonathan wants you. Please Tess; he's practically your son." Clark implored softly.

"He's the closest thing to a son I'm ever going to get! Do you think I want to leave him?" She yelled at him.

Clark froze. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know why I don't like pirates?" She asked him suddenly.

Clark frowned, not knowing where this was going. "No."

"I was kidnapped by them and held for 5 weeks. They killed my best friend in front of me. And now it's unlikely that I can ever have children." She spoke softly, anger being replaced by sadness. "Yesterday was 10 years to the day that Oliver saved me."

Clark remembered the story Oliver had told him and realised what she was talking about. "Tess…" He reached out to comfort her but she shrugged him off.

"No, I don't want your pity." She snapped. "Now let me go." He picked her up and she screamed. "Put me down!"

Oliver charged out of the room, too late, but they were gone.

Clark gently put her on her feet and wrapped his jacket around her. They were in an empty suburban street in Washington DC. Townhouses were neatly lined up on the street, cars parked outside under shady trees.

Tess whirled around and slapped his face. "Where the hell are we?"

Clark pointed at a window. "Look."

She turned and saw Jonathan sitting on Martha's lap. Martha was reading him a story and rocking in the rocking chair. "Jonathan." She breathed.

"That could be you." Clark said softly. "I was a stupid jerk and that shouldn't rob you of this."

Tess didn't know what to say. She was still furious and hurt but she loved that little boy so much.

Clark continued. "I should rob Jonathan of a chance to have a mother."

Tess slowly turned back to him. "This is emotional blackmail."

Clark nodded. "I know. I'm desperate. I don't know what else to do. We need you. It's not my bed Jonathan climbs into at night, it's yours. You're a part of the family now. You can't leave us. We wouldn't survive."

Tess turned back to the window, thinking. "You would survive."

"But we wouldn't be happy. I was an idiot and I should learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes. Look, I will do anything to make it up to you. Anything." Clark declared ardently. "Just please don't leave."

Tess sighed. This really was emotional blackmail. She looked up at Jonathan who was smiling at something Martha said. Who was she kidding? She couldn't leave him. That boy had stolen her heart. "I'll stay for Jonathan."

"Thank you." Clark smiled broadly behind her, happy that something had gone right.

"But it doesn't mean you're forgiven." His face fell.

"I have to earn your trust back don't I?" Clark asked.

She nodded, her eyes still not leaving Jonathan.

"I can live with that." Clark said lightly.

Tess turned to him, a devious smirk on her lips. "When you said anything, did you mean anything?"

"Ah…" Clark didn't know what he was getting himself into.