Title: A Two Front War (3/?)
Rating: 15 (UK) / T
Spoilers: Through season 9 up to Checkmate
Author Note: I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own. All comments and reviews are appreciated, including the "you suck" variety. i haven't received many reviews on this story, so i hope you are enjoying it, but I have no idea if you are!
Chloe practically threw herself into Oliver's arms as he walked through the doors of watchtower. She held him tight feeling the fear she felt earlier bubble its way to the surface again. She knew the warmth of his arms would make her feel that little bit safer.
"Chloe? What's wrong? Is everything okay with the baby?" He felt the panic rise in his chest. Chloe rarely showed any sign of fear while in her watchtower. It was her sanctuary where she was in control.
"The baby is fine."
"Then what's got you so on edge?"
"Tess came to see me today while I was waiting for Lois at lunch." Chloe loosened her embrace trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. She hated feeling so emotional all the time. Damn hormones.
"Tess?" Oliver held Chloe by the shoulders and dipped his head so he could look into her face. "Did she hurt you?"
"Not physically. I wish she had, bruises I can take." She shook her head "She's threatened to tell Checkmate about me carrying the Green Arrow's baby. She's willing to put your identity and our safety at risk."
"What does she want?"
"The location of Watchtower and the league delivered on a silver platter. She wants to give the information to Waller - she thinks that Checkmate will let her off the hook if she delivers."
Oliver's jaw set firmly, and Chloe could see the anger blaze across his eyes. At one point Tess had been the most important woman in his life. He had loved her, trusted her. He no longer recognised that person in the woman he knew now. The Mercy he knew would never have threatened an unborn child to get what she wanted. This woman he knew now, she was relentless and needed to be stopped. His warnings to her had obviously gone unheard.
Oliver clenched his fists, hardly feeling the pain of his nails biting into the skin.
"Whatever you are considering right now Oliver, don't even think about it." Chloe brought him round from his dark thoughts.
"She's threatened you and our child. I think that justifies a few of the thoughts I am having."
"Tess isn't our only problem Oliver. In fact, in her own twisted way she's helped us. Apparently she is not the only one with her sights set on us." Chloe handed him the pictures she had of the Checkmate operatives. "Checkmate are having me followed. They know I'm involved with you, it won't take much for them to figure out the baby is yours. How long before they click that you're the Green Arrow?"
"Have you contacted anyone else?"
"I've let the league know about a potential breach. I've asked for Victor to come in. He's still in the city, he said he should be here in half an hour."
"Victor?"
"While waiting for you to come over I had an idea, but I'll need help from the two of you to pull it off." Chloe bit her lip, her confidence started to waver "I also need your say on my decision, because I will need your full support. I need to know that I'm not about to fall off the edge to a place I can't come back from. I can't do this without you."
"Whatever it is, we'll do it together."
It hadn't taken much for Oliver to find Tess' location. While Chloe discussed her ideas with Victor he had made use of watchtower's computers to pinpoint her location. It seemed like she had decided to hole up in a hotel during her exile using a false name.
He saw her sitting in the corner of the hotel's bar. Tess saw him approaching and her body stiffened as a response. She could see the hate and rage in his eyes. She would give anything to see those same chocolate brown eyes look at her with the love that they used to hold. So much had changed in a few short years.
"I see you're keeping to crowded rooms." Oliver said as he sat opposite her at the table "A good thing considering your circumstances."
"I take it your little girlfriend told you about our conversation earlier today." She smiled as she sipped her wine "I'm surprised, I thought I would be seeing you sooner than this."
"I told you that if you came after me or my friends again I would expose you to the world. What part of that didn't you understand?"
She smirked "I have nothing left to lose Oliver. You can't expose me without revealing yourself, I've made sure of that."
"You've threatened my baby. What makes you think I would let that slide?"
"If you want to protect Chloe you're going to have to." She continued to drink her wine "So, aside from throwing empty threats my way is there anything else?"
Oliver slapped an envelope on the table. Tess raised a quizzical eyebrow as she accepted and opened it. "Is this what I think it is?"
"It's what you wanted wasn't it?" Oliver spat out.
"So those threats - that way just the anger of a man in defeat? You're giving me watchtower's location? I have to say, I thought it would take more convincing. Maybe I expected more from Chloe."
"Chloe doesn't know."
Tess let out a bitter little laugh "Lies have no place in a loving relationship. You know that." her tone patronising.
"My priority is Chloe and our child. Now I expect you to hold your end of the bargain, or so help me there will be nowhere you can hide."
"You have my word Oliver. And as a goodwill gesture I'll keep this little transaction between the two of us. We wouldn't want to upset the little woman now would we, especially in her delicate condition."
Oliver let out a shaky breath. Even he didn't think he could get away with beating the hell out of Tess in a public place. But he was oh so tempted. He rose from his seat and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Stay away from me, and stay away from my family. I promise the next time you try anything like this, I guarantee I won't expose you. I will kill you. Do you understand?"
Tess felt as though someone had poured ice down her spine. This was a new Oliver. He was cold, hard, and dangerous. He meant every word he was saying, there would be no second chances. Tess finally understood that she had pushed this man to his limit. "I understand perfectly."
Tess watched him walk away and smiled to herself. She had what she needed to get her life back and that was all that mattered.
Chloe was exhausted. Victor had not left until the early hours of that morning helping her put her plan into practice. It still amazed her how quickly he worked with computers. Tasks that would take her days would take him only a matter of hours. She would never get tired of watching him work, but she felt that only she and Victor shared this bond.
Oliver had disappeared about an hour into their meeting and she had found him asleep in bed when finally returned to his place. She had a feeling that there would be a lecture coming her way when she finally saw him again this afternoon.
Chloe stifled a yawn. She had intended on sleeping most of the day away but fate had had other plans. Emil had asked for her to come in for a check-up. She would bet her last dollar that Oliver had asked for his intervention.
Emil said that he was concerned about her stress levels and wanted to make sure everything was well with her and the baby.
Thankfully everything was fine, and her blood pressure was nice and normal. For the inconvenience of hauling her out of bed Chloe had made him perform an ultrasound just so she could see the baby again. Oliver would be angry when he found out; he insisted on being present for every ultrasound. It was a petty victory, but it made her feel better. She had the pictures in her bag so she wouldn't have to put up with his pouting for too long.
As she walked to her car she called Oliver's phone but unfortunately only got through to his voicemail. 'He must be in a meeting' She thought.
"Oliver, it's me. Just to let you know I've been to see Emil - and don't think I don't know you had something to do with this little intervention. Did you know he is threatening to take away my daily coffee if I don't start to relax? One coffee a day Oliver, that's all I'm allowed, and he wants me to cut back further? You had better hope he's joking for your sake. While I was th-"
Her conversation was cut short as a pair of hands grabbed her from behind, knocking the phone from her hands. Before she could scream a hand holding a cloth was pressed to her face. She recognised the face of the man holding the cloth. He was one of the guys she had identified as working for Checkmate.
The ether worked quickly, she was barely conscious as she was hauled into the car. Her last thought before she drifted out was of the baby.