Chloe frowned at her laptop, and shook her head. It didn't seem possible that while there were several Prince families, Diana was connected to none of them. The address on her license was legitimate, and Chloe had even checked back to the fact that Diana had recently transferred from an East Coast school to Met U this semester. She was sitting on the floor with her laptop on the coffee table, Oliver stretched out on the couch, reading the book he'd bought the other night. They had planned to take a drive out into the country today, but a surprise storm had blanketed the Metropolis area in a thick layer of snow. It still swirled outside, and Chloe and Oliver had decided to go with it and spend a quiet day at home.
"If you ask nicely, you could use my network to do that research on Diana…" Oliver said, not looking up from his book. "I'm easily coerced."
Chloe sighed. "I'd like to say I didn't need to take you up on it, but unless I want to go to the Daily Planet…hey." Chloe looked over at him. "How did you know I was checking Diana out?"
"It was just a question of when." Oliver replied, looking at her. "Oh, come on, Chloe. I realize you sometimes think people around you aren't that bright, but I think I know you well enough to know you wouldn't let this girl get by without checking her out." He laughed and went back to reading. "Let's just pretend that I don't know about the file you have on me."
Chloe blushed and leaned against the couch, resting her head on his shoulder. "It was before we got involved…when Clark and I thought the Green Arrow might be a bad guy…All digging into Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow on my part have stopped."
Oliver laughed, and kissed the top of her head. "It's not a big deal. I'll tell you everything you need or want or don't want to know as it happens, I promise. But, Diana is a pretty co-ed who happens to have caught Clark's attention. Leave it alone."
"A pretty co-ed with no birth record." Chloe said, turning to look up at Oliver. "A pretty co-ed that is a national of no country, but is a naturalized citizen of this one. A pretty co-ed that discussed Aristotle with you last night without once hesitating or hitting a false note. Doesn't that seem odd?"
"Yes." Oliver nodded, his face serious. "A twenty year old woman should not know that much about Aristotle. Obviously, she's hiding something. Chloe, knowing about Greek philosophy means she's studied Classics in school, that's all." He sat up and slid down on the floor beside Chloe. He kissed Chloe and smiled. "The no birth record thing is interesting, though. What if the hall of records in her home town burned down or something?"
"It's possible, of course." Chloe nodded. "But, she's a naturalized citizen. That means there has to be some evidence supporting her identity, but it's completely," Chloe frowned. "Unfindable."
Oliver nodded. "What if her country of origin has privacy laws, Chloe? And birth records can be sealed, say if she was adopted."
"I know." Chloe bit her lip, thinking of her search into Clark's background so long ago, the search that nearly destroyed their friendship. "Those are both very definitely explanations."
"And yet, Goldilocks is still testing the porridge." Oliver said, and Chloe grinned. "Okay, how about this, because I'm just now thinking of it. How many families in the United States are named Prince?"
"Thousands." Chloe shook her head. "I thought of that. But, it's not so easy to get demographics on single, female head of household, multiple sibling homes."
"Where all the siblings are girls." Oliver nodded, remembering Diana's comment about having several sisters. "Well, my research department could get the demographic info, but I don't know if it will help." He put his arm around Chloe. "I'm used to people digging into my life – it's been a constant since my parents died, but Diana is a private person. If there are secrets, isn't it better to let her tell Clark and then you when she's ready?"
"I just have this feeling about her, Oliver. Something is not right, or at least it's not all how she wants us to believe it is." Chloe sighed. "I don't want Clark hurt."
"I understand." Oliver replied. "I don't want to see Clark hurt, either. But, he's a big boy, and if you keep doing stuff like that for him, he'll never be inspired to help himself."
Chloe looked up at Oliver and grinned. "You just want me for yourself."
"True." Oliver laughed. "My own personal blonde search engine." He rested his cheek on her hair. Chloe laughed, reaching out to draw lines on Oliver's leg with her finger idly. "Wanting you for myself is only part of it. I love that you want to protect Clark."
"You do?" She looked up at him.
"Yeah, I do." Oliver nodded. "But, I also want you to know that at some point you have to let go. Clark has to take care of himself, and find his feet. I'm telling you that as his friend, Chloe. I want to see Clark meet his potential. Don't let your fears for him hold him back."
"I've always encouraged him." Chloe snapped, and Oliver took her hand in his.
"I know. Listen, maybe I'm wrong." He looked at her, turning her face to his. "I love you. And I might decide I know best, or can protect you in ways you've never dreamed of." He smiled gently. "Both things are true, by the way." Chloe grinned, and Oliver continued, "Protecting you too much might stop you from doing the growing you want to do…keep you from being who you are supposed to be. I'm looking forward to loving that Chloe, too, so I have to remind myself to let go enough."
"I'm always here." Chloe laughed, and Oliver shrugged, looking down at their clasped hands thoughtfully. "This is a conversation to have when I go back to the dorms."
"Exactly. And I want you here. My point is, I could have security watching you at work. I could insist on you being driven everywhere I couldn't go with you. You're safe, but you also aren't being you – all the way." Oliver kissed her hand. "Does that make sense?"
"It does." Chloe nodded. "I've spent so long looking out for Clark that it's natural now. I'm really going to have to find a patch or something, because tapering off protecting him is going to be hard.."
"Clark's always looking out for you, too." Oliver told her, "You know that. That's what friends do." He kissed her and stood, pulling Chloe up with him. "Come on, let's go to the park. I'm getting restless." Chloe smiled. Oliver could go from inactivity to total motion in five seconds. "Maybe when we get back, today's offering from the 12 Days of Christmas will be here."
"Only if they're delivering it by sled dog." Chloe looked outside. "I'll go get ready."
Diana landed on her behind, in a large drift of snow, yelping with delight. "You did that on purpose!" Her blue eyes glittered happily, and Clark laughed, nearly falling himself. They were in Centennial Park, taking in the city in it's snow covered glory. The usual city sounds were gone, dampened by the snow and only an intrepid few were out, mostly groups of city children, who had set up snowball battlefields in the wide meadow.
"I didn't, I swear." He held out a hand. "Come on." She looked up at him, and then pulled him down into the snow, moving just enough that Clark was face first in the drift, her laugh ringing out over the park.
"That was on purpose." Diana gurgled with laughter as Clark sat up, brushing snow out of his face. "We play rough in my family." She fell back into the soft drift, looking up at the dove grey sky as the flakes, gentle and fragile fell around them. "It never snows where I'm from." Diana sighed.
"Really." Clark asked. "What's it like?" She was beautiful, her dark hair contrasted with the pure white snow. "Where you're from?"
"Paradise." Diana said, but the word didn't sound like she felt that way about her home. "It's always beautiful. Even the rain is just enough and at the right time. This," She raised her arms to the sky. "Is Perfection. Do you know how lucky you are?" Her question didn't seem meant for Clark personally, but he dropped to lie beside her in the snow, looking up at the sky.
"I like to think I do." Clark said, and Diana smiled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "But I think so many people take so much for granted."
"They do." Diana said softly, and Clark looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Clark, I need to tell you something, and if you hate me for it, I'll understand. But I feel I can trust you with this, and I don't want us to become closer without my telling you the truth about myself."
"I don't think it could be possible for me to hate you." Clark felt a twist in his gut at her words. This is it, she's an escapee from the Phantom Zone, her family deadly enemies of the house of El and I'll have to send her back…"What is it?"
"I hope not, because I think my heart might break otherwise." Diana sat up, and shook the snow from her hair. "I grew up on an island in the Aegean Sea, protected from the world by magic older than time. My mother is a queen there, and I am her only child." The words spilled out in a rush. "I really am a student at MetU, but only because I left home against her wishes to see the world."
"You're a princess." Clark said, relieved and confused at the same time. "A human princess…"
"Princess, yes," Diana shook her head, and then closed her eyes. "I'm, oh, Clark, I'm not human at all." She stood. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be exactly. But, I'm bound to the Earth, a gift of the gods to my mother, Queen Hypolita of Themyscira."
"Diana." Clark stood too, and took her hands in his. "You're from Earth?"
"Yes…made from it. At least that's the story." Diana smiled, and then blinked. "What do you mean, I'm from Earth? Aren't you?"
Clark took a deep breath. Trusting her with this would be hard, especially since he hadn't told Oliver everything yet, and he knew Chloe hadn't either. But, Diana had opened up to him, and it would be unjust to not tell her the truth now. "No." He looked around and they started walking, his voice low and conversational, as if they were making plans for the evening. "I'm from a planet called Krypton. It was destroyed just after my natural parents sent me. I was only a baby, and my mother, you met her..." Diana nodded. "and my late father found me, after a meteor shower. The meteors were fragments of my homeworld, and my ship had traveled along with them, until I got here." Clark waited for Diana to speak, to say anything, but when he turned, she was staring at him in awestruck wonder.
"It is true." She reached up and touched his face. "You fell from the stars. I knew in my heart you had to be from the gods, but I didn't want to believe it."
Clark smiled. "Not gods, although here we can do pretty amazing things. On Krypton, I'd probably just be a regular guy." Diana's hands were warm on his face. "Aren't you cold?"
"The elements don't affect me." Diana said, dismissing his concern with a wave. "You don't seem bothered by the cold, either." They started walking again. "What amazing things can you do?"
Clark shook his head modestly. "I didn't mean to say I could…"
"But you can." Diana stopped, and looked at him. "You just said, 'here we can do pretty amazing things' , What can you do?" Clark found himself captivated by the question, because Diana asked it innocently. "I am not without gifts from the gods myself."
"Well, you tell me one of your gifts, and I'll tell you one of my powers." Clark said, and Diana grinned.
"Fine. I can fly." She said, without hesitation at all. She looked at him expectantly. "Now you."
"I'm strong." Clark told her, and Diana nodded.
"Me, too." She laughed, and Clark grinned. "What else?"
"I can run really fast, and my mother told me I flew once, but I don't remember it." Clark told her. "I've been leaping, but it's not the same…"
"No, flight is truly wonderful." Diana sighed. "When you feel the air around you, there is no greater moment."
"You fly." Clark looked at her, amazed. "That's incredible."
"Someday, I'll take you, and you can see for yourself." Diana nodded. "And then maybe you'll remember how. It's like the saying goes here, riding a bike."
"I'll have to remember that." Clark put his arm around her shoulders, and they continued to talk about just about everything they could think of, pleasantly distracted. Distracted enough to not notice they were being tracked. A pair of green eyes watched them as they innocently went on their way, and Oliver Queen smiled the very satified smile of a hunter whose prey happened to wander into his sights. He and Chloe had not been out long.
"Oliver, I can't believe you think you're going to be able to do this." Chloe said, packing snowballs. "Clark will definitely catch you."
"Yeah, okay." Oliver held out a hand. "He'll be the first target then." Chloe rolled her eyes and folded her arms. Oliver frowned. "Get busy, woman. I'm going to need ammunition."
The first shot went wide, landing just short of Clark, and Oliver ducked when Clark looked around.
"Uh huh." Chloe snickered. "Way to go, Hawkeye. You sure you don't want to rethink this?"
"These aren't exactly arrows, you know, my love." Oliver replied, packing the snowball a little more. "This is going to get ugly fast, I promise." He looked up, and measured the distance between himself and Clark carefully. "But, I owe him for that pinecone last week, and then kicking my ass playing football, too. Too bad I don't have a slingshot with me.." Oliver threw the snowball. It whizzed through the air and hit it's intended target, the back of Clark's head with a satisfying thwop. "Sweet!" Oliver hissed, ducking down before Clark could see him.
"What the…" Clark brought a hand to his head, brushing snow away. "Where did that come from?" He looked around. Several snowball fights were in progress, so he smiled at Diana and shrugged. "From over there, I guess."
Diana smiled and nodded, but she looked around suspiciously all the same. Five seconds later, she was hit with a snowball too, between her shoulders, as if the thrower was trying to be polite and yet include her. But, there was no denying that the snowball had been deliberately thrown. "Oh!" She cried, and Clark looked around again, in time to get a snowball square in the face and then almost immediately, while Clark was blinded by the snow, another hit him on the shoulder. Diana giggled, spotting Oliver as he ducked again behind a large green dumpster.
"Oliver." Clark said, wiping his face with a vengeful grin. "I know you're out there, Ollie." Clark called, and Oliver grinned. "Prepare to be humiliated, rich boy."
"Aren't you going to answer?" Chloe mouthed.
"Hell no." Oliver shook his head, putting a finger to his lips. "Sssh."
Clark picked up a handful of snow and quickly make a perfect snowball. "You going to keep hiding?"
"You bet your ass, I am." Oliver's voice rang out over the park. Clark scanned every tree and bush around them, even out into the meadow where the children's snowball fight was going on. "Only chance I have."
"Is Chloe with you?" Clark asked, hoping to pinpoint Chloe and then be able to target Oliver, but he couldn't even hear her breathing. "Chloe!"
Clark was answered by two snowballs, one immediately after the other, hitting him in the chest. "Some way to treat a friend, Chloe." He heard her giggle faintly, and so did Diana, who seemed to lock in on the direction Chloe's laugh had come from.
"We need to find cover." Diana said, assessing the situation as if they really were at war. "And then you can exploit their weakness." Clark grinned and looked at Diana.
"How's your aim?" He said, and her black eyebrows rose over her eyes, amused.
"Gifted with perfect aim by Artemis herself." Diana replied. "Do you have a plan?"
"I do. Come on." Clark took her by the hand and moved out into the field, skirting the children, and dropped to the ground behind the shrubs that bordered the field from the sidewalks of the park. "Think you can hit that dumpster?" He pointed, and Diana nodded.
"I'll try." Diana took the snowball Clark made, stood and threw it. It sailed just over the dumpster, hitting the tree just beyond it. Some snow that had gathered in the tree branches fell, and Clark nodded. "Oh, I missed. Threw it too hard."
"No, that was perfect." He said, pulling Diana down, as two more snowballs were launched from behind the dumpster, one sailing over them where Diana's head would have been and the second hitting Clark on the side of the head, effectively clogging his ear. He shook his head and with a quick blast of heat vision, caused the snow in the branches that hung over the dumpster to fall, covering Chloe and Oliver in snow. Diana turned to stare at Clark, as shrieks and whoops of laughter issued out from across the way.
"Truly amazing." She said, kissing his cheek. "You won."
"We won." He said, standing. "Do you surrender?" Clark called out, and Oliver stood, waving his arms.
"Yes!" Oliver shouted, and Chloe popped up, shaking herself free of snow. "You win!"
Clark and Diana made their way over to the dumpster and Clark shook Oliver's hand. "Nice throwing."
"Nice cheating." Oliver laughed, looking up. Clark eyed the bare branches and shrugged.
"Snow. It counts." He grinned, and Oliver nodded. "We were going to get some coffee or hot chocolate over at that place in the park. You guys feel like joining us?" Clark said, and Chloe grinned, brushing the last of the snow off her coat.
"I need a large latte after that." She smiled at Clark and then took Oliver's arm. "Valiant effort, my hero."
"Ah, we'll get him next time." Oliver said, kissing Chloe's cold nose. "One day, when he least expects it. Today was good, but next time, no mercy."
"That I will have to see to believe." Diana said proudly. "Clark is a warrior born."
"Thank you." Clark laughed, taking Diana's hand. "Let's go." Chloe and Oliver fell into step with them, all walking together through the snow.
"So you had a snow war with them?" Lois asked, as Oliver stirred a huge pot of chili and Chloe and Bruce played chess. "And they beat you?" Dinner plans with Lois and Bruce had been relocated to Oliver's apartment as the snowstorm got worse, and most restaurants closed their doors. Everything there was cozy and comfortable, the Christmas tree lit and music playing.
"Clark did. Knocked snow down on us from above." Oliver said, grinning. "It was a brilliant defeat. Next time I get him under the trees and drop a bomb on him. It was Hiroshima all over again, minus the nuclear fallout."
"Next time, I hope I'm there to see it," Bruce said, as he captured Chloe's bishop. "That must have been something."
"Oliver was wonderful." Chloe said loyally, blowing him a kiss, before she claimed Bruce's rook. "It really could have gone either way."
"Snowball fights are like that." Bruce said, looking at the chessboard. "So is chess, from the looks of this. You're good." He looked up at Chloe. "I'm impressed."
"Thank you." Chloe grinned, and Bruce checked her with a small smile. "Oh."
"You should be glad. I played him earlier and didn't get past five minutes." Lois said, waving her hand. "Oliver, you're up." He went to hand her the long wooden spoon to stir the chili, but thought better of it.
"Chloe, take over here, please." He smiled at Lois. "Sorry, Lois, but you really can't be trusted."
"No, that's fine." She popped a cherry tomato from the salad bowl in her mouth. "I'm having fun being waited on."
"Don't enjoy it too much, Lois." Bruce said, "We're dish detail." The elevator sprang to life, and Bruce frowned. "Expecting company, Oliver?"
"No." Oliver replied, wiping his hands on a dishtowel, and then smiled. "Chloe….fifth day of Christmas…"
"They made it!" Chloe said as Oliver went to the elevator door to collect the box.
"What are you two talking about?" Lois asked, and Bruce stood as Oliver put the box down on the table.
"Come on, Chloe…leave the chili, shut it off, if you want..." Oliver called, as Chloe shut off the chili and hurried over. They looked at each other and Oliver nodded. "Ready?"
"Ready." Chloe opened the box and sighed. "Five Golden Rings." She took the confection from the box, and everyone gathered around to look. Five rings, made of elaborately gold leafed and molded chocolate, lie on a heart shaped cake decorated to look like an embroidered pillow, complete with silk ribbons and sugared flowers.
"That is something." Bruce said, examining it. He looked up at Oliver. "Very nice."
"That is amazing." Lois breathed. "How pretty."
"I guess we have dessert for tonight, other than pecan pie and ice cream." Oliver said, putting his arm around Chloe. "If you can stand to cut into that."
"I can." Chloe smiled, and then looked up at Oliver. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He kissed her forehead and then grinned at Bruce. "I will not lose at chess. One humiliating defeat a day is enough."
"Are you not playing, then?" Bruce asked, his voice wry. "Because that's the only way you won't lose, Ollie."
"Trying to psych me out, Bruce?" Oliver asked. "If I win, I tell the girls about the time when you…"
"Fine. And if I win, I tell the girls a story about you, and I have friends who were fraternity brothers of yours.." Bruce replied, setting the pieces up again. "Make sure dinner is ready, Chloe, because I'm hungry."
"Man." Oliver said after Bruce and Lois left, looking at the chess board. "A draw."
"And, we were all spared the embarrassing stories." Chloe hugged him. "It was nice of Bruce to not demolish you in your own house."
"Hey." Oliver looked down at her. "I was in the chess club, too, you know." He grinned. "It was nice of him to save my destruction for another time." He laughed and then sighed. "I think he didn't want Lois to hear the story I had on him."
"Maybe." Chloe said, looking up at him. "But, I am curious, Mr. Queen. My journalistic instinct could not help but be piqued at what dirt Bruce had on you."
"Ah." Oliver nodded. "Yes, I bet you were, my little nosy-body." He looked down at Chloe and smiled. "I could tell you, but there's a price."
"Really?" Chloe tipped her head. "Is the story that good? It's really unethical to pay people for information."
"I'm not talking money." Oliver said lazily. "We could take it out in trade. Exchange favors."
"I see." Chloe laughed, as Oliver pulled her close. "Favors."
"Right. Nothing too dramatic, or illegal." Oliver studied her for a second. "Well, when are you going to be twenty one?"
"Stop. You are incorrigible." Chloe laughed, pushing him away. "Forget it. I really don't want to know."
"You don't?" Oliver was crestfallen. "It's a really good story."
"Right." Chloe bit her lip and squinted, assessing him. "Why not just tell me, out of your overwhelming love for me? Besides, how do I know your story is any good?"
"You don't." Oliver caught her hand and led her to the couch. "You really need to take things on faith." He sat down and Chloe sat on his lap, facing him. "But then, what kind of journalist would you be if you took things on faith?"
"Right." Chloe said, kissing what she had come to think of as "her" spot, just behind his ear that made him shiver. "I'd be a bad one."
"We can't have that." Oliver agreed, unbuttoning the top few buttons on Chloe's blouse. "Journalistic integrity is everything."
"I know." Chloe had unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands across his chest. "I have to have standards." Oliver looked into her eyes, and Chloe felt herself squirm in anticipation of the promise she saw there.
"Standards? Really?" Oliver's voice was low as he finished unbuttoning her blouse, stripping it away from her and dropping it on the floor. "Well, I don't know if my story will measure up to your high standards, Ms. Sullivan." He unsnapped her bra and slipped it off her, looking back at her.
"Oh, I'll be the judge of that." Chloe said, taking his shirt and dropping it on the floor next to hers. "After all, I'm the journalist. You're just a billionaire."
"Right." Oliver laughed, kissing her collarbone while his hands glided along her breasts. "Just." Chloe gasped as he nibbled at her neck. She had undone his jeans and paused for him to unbutton hers.
"When I need advice on the stock market, you're my guy." Chloe laughed, rising up on her knees to push her jeans and panties down, loving the expression on Oliver's face. Making him speechless, even for a nanosecond was so worthwhile and that stunned expression was so sexy on him.
"Stock market?" Oliver asked, moving enough to pull down his own pants and then drawing her down onto him, entering her in one quick motion that made them both groan. "I couldn't tell you anything about the stock market right now…"His hands were at her waist, on her hips and he pushed at her, daring her to move again. "This is too great."
"No?" Chloe kissed him. She moved on him, and he looked up at her, his excitement plain, from the conversation and the feel of being so connected to her. "No advice on where I should invest my intern dollars?"
"You are killing me." Oliver said, kissing her hard, grazing her lips with his teeth. "So smart…sexy as hell…I can't stand you." Since almost the beginning, their lovemaking was this way…the mind part as stimulating as the sight of Chloe in any state of dress, as far as Oliver was concerned, and the idea of her moving back to the dorms was not a happy one.
"Stay with me."
Chloe had been moving slowly on him, and she stopped midway up to look at him. "What?"
"Don't go back to the dorm after winter break." Oliver said breathlessly. "Live here."
"Oliver…" Chloe leaned forward and kissed him. "I'd love to…" She moved again and he growled, catching her close and moving so she was under him, gaining control of the situation.
"Stay." Oliver said, and Chloe wrapped her legs around him, grinning. She could feel her self starting to come, it didn't take much sometimes, and she could tell he was not too far behind her. Their eyes locked, and Chloe clung to him, riding the wave of her orgasm and then, feeling that Oliver was close, she whispered, not breaking eye contact what she knew he was waiting to hear.
"Yes. I'll stay." That was all it took. He came as she spoke the words, and he smiled at her, bright as the sun as they sank in.
"Not just saying that?" He kissed her lips gently, pulling up his jeans enough to not trip over them and stripping hers off her completely, dropping them beside her blouse on the floor. "I get you a key made and you live here? Put your name on the mailbox?"
"Yes." Chloe said, "It's insane, but I will."
Oliver picked her up in his arms, and kissed her. "I am the happiest I've ever been in my life right now. Wow." He carried her upstairs, and she giggled when he asked her the next question. "Why?"
"Because I love the landlord, that's why." Chloe told him, when he set her down on her feet in what was now their room. "As much a goofball as he is."
"I love you too, Goldilocks. More every day." Oliver said, brushing her hair from her face. "My house is your house now. You're home, Chloe." He kissed her again, pulling her into his arms. "Welcome Home."
"On the Fifth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Five Golden Rings…
Four Calling birds, Three French Hens,
Two Turtledoves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.."