Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or any of these characters
AN: Yay...update! The next update will most likely be in a week. For now enjoy! Read and review please. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Happy Late Valentines day.
Chapter 8:A smoking Arrow
Lois Lane sat on her couch, files spread out across the coffee table. She had spent the greater part of the week verifying her theories on the identity of the Green Arrow. Two months ago was when she started her investigation, her cousin wasn't any help at all. Chloe was way too busy with her own 'serious' job, she knew her cousin wasn't avoiding her or anything. A fledgling reporter had a lot of work to do, a lot to prove. The only thing that bothered Lois about her cousin lately was there lack of Chlo-Lo time.
The lack of quality time however had given Lois the time to practice her own investigating skills and make her own contacts in the underground of Metropolis, well not the underground. But she now had the city wired. She had contacts everywhere. At the hospital, in almost every police precinct, and in town hall, which all helped her copy and retrieve the files now piled on her coffee table.
Lois looked over the police reports and the coroner's report of a one Dr. Pamela Black, a woman whose murder was caught before her body got cold. All the evidence pointed to a street kid, but one thing got Lois' attention, a piece of information never released to the public. One green arrow was found at the crime scene. The alloy that made up the projectile was untraceable.
Something like that had to be expensive, who could construct such a weapon? The list of suspects was growing shorter and shorter. Lois compared all of the information and she finally thought she had her answer, the green arrow was the one that murdered Dr. Black, and Oliver Queen was funding the vigilante.
The connection between the Green Arrow and Oliver Queen was not hard for Lois to find, where ever the billionaire traveled too, the supposed hero made an appearance. She had initially thought the playboy was the emerald archer. But like a billionaire would dress up in form fitting leather, steal priceless artifacts, and murder someone.
Lois didn't know much about the personal life of Oliver Queen beyond what she read in the tabloids, but she knew he was a good man and not a murderer. He funded Senator Kent's platform and made regular visits to the farm to meet with her. Not to mention the friendship that he had struck with Clark.
Clark, if he saw good in the billionaire then there was no denying that it was there. Nonetheless if he wasn't the Green Arrow than someone he knew was and he was funding the bad guy. Lois would have to look deeper and she was about to go through another random file when Chloe and Clark walked into the Talon apartment.
"Fine Clark I'll bring the apple pie but like I said I might…." Chloe cut herself off as she took in the sight of her cousin in full investigation mode. "Looking for proof of life on other planets again Lois?"
"Ha ha you can poke fun at my journalistic dreams all you want. But you know as well as I do. You've researched the weird and strange like your life depended on it." Lois replied knowing her cousin was just making fun at her.
"Looks like you're in deep. What are you really working on Lois?" Clark interjected letting his presence be known.
Lois was getting closer to his secret lately. Hopefully she wasn't trying to figure out the strange things that were happening around her when they were together. They'd spent more and more time together which in itself wasn't abnormal. The strange thing of it all was Clark was starting to enjoy their random movie nights and spontaneous bonding time as his mother called it.
"The Green Arrow, I think he murdered someone. One green arrow was found at the scene of the crime and everything points to the lab being ransacked for an experimental miracle cure to any illness you could think of." She answered holding up the police report, Clark quickly grabbed the paper and scanned the information. It made so much sense now, Oliver's strange behavior for those few weeks and the syringe he found.
Chloe's contact at Metropolis University had lost the sample that Clark took from Oliver's penthouse. When she told him about the unfortunate lab mistake Clark was worried but his concern soon died down when Oliver started to act normal again, as normal as a guy with a dual identity could act.
Another thing that had him worried was his best friend's stunning lack of interest in the matter, but that died as well when Chloe told him that she had too much to do and that she didn't feel the need to get caught up in the affairs of another billionaire, considering her history with the financial gifted.
"Murder really? I doubt it, but it's none of my business I'm not a reporter. I should get going I have to get a turkey for the table before my mother disowns me."Another pathetic excuse and Clark was gone out the door, how he got away with the pathetic excuses Chloe would never understand.
"Lois I thought you dropped your one woman hunt for the Green Arrow," Chloe said getting her computer out and putting it on the counter.
"Bandit cuz, the Green Arrow Bandit and no, I've just been so busy with Mrs. K that I haven't had the time, but Thanksgiving is in a few days and she's taking a holiday so I have some time off now." She turned back to her work and said nothing more.
Chloe was at a loss for words on the matter. Why couldn't her cousin just drop it? No that would make things to easy for her, this cosmic joke wasn't as funny as it used to be. She already had so much on her plate as it was now. She had to run interference and sabotage her cousin's investigation.
Clark sped over to the penthouse of Oliver Queen and was surprised to find the billionaire working on what looked like a center piece for a table. He was also stunned at the way the place was decorated or the fact that it was decorated. The normally bare bachelor pad was decked out in Thanksgiving décor and the normal green hue of the room was now orange.
"Clark, you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, but that's normal for you. What brings you here so early in the day?" Oliver said not turning to face his guess, he had given up reminding Clark that he could at least knock once and a while.
"I have to talk to you about something Oliver and I need you to be completely honest with me." Clark went straight to the point wanting answers as soon as possible.
"Okay, aren't I always?" The billionaire tried to lighten the mood but noticed the look in his friends eyes and his smirk faded "Right, what do you want to know Clark"
"Did you murder Dr. Pamela Black?" He asked a big question in few words, not only was it an Oliver it was an insult as well.
"How could you ask me that? I may be a lot of things, but I'm no murder." His stance said it all, he stood as if ready for a fight and then pulled back sitting at his desk. Oliver put his head in his hands in regret.
"It wasn't that long ago that you weren't acting like yourself, and don't deny it you were using something. What? I don't know, but it had something to do with that doctor and her work." Clark was still in integration mode, no matter how his friend was acting now there were questions that needed to be answered.
"Enough with the accusations, It's true I was on something, not any normal drug." He looked up making eye contact with the farm-boy.
"What was it and why would you turn to drugs?" Clark asked another big question, Oliver had initially taken the drug to be more like Clark Kent so he could be good enough for Chloe. He wasn't going to tell him that though.
"RL65 that's what it's called it was cutting-edge molecular modifier. I used it to heal myself when I got wounded while on patrol," Oliver confessed, he didn't like making himself sound dependent on a stupid chemical.
"What do you mean by 'was,'? Who really killed Dr. Black? Lois has evidence that it was the Green Arrow." Clark revealed the source of his information about the whole situation.
"Lois? She's such a pest." More of a pest than one knew, why any of these people put up with that squawking parrot Oliver couldn't figure out. "The police report says a street kid did it. But I think it was really Lex Luthor."
"Lex?" He quirked an eyebrow at Oliver's sudden accusation of his fellow billionaire.
"He bribed her into selling him Queen Industry secrets and was testing the drug on street kids from a halfway house funded by Luthor corp. In the end Dr. Black dropped out of her part of the deal and destroyed what was left of the drug." Oliver leaned against his desk and relaxed his posture. There was nothing else to say on the matter, not to Clark anyway.
There was so much more to the tale than the farm-boy knew, but it all involved Chloe, and that was still a secret. They were still a secret from the world and everyone that knew them. As far as Clark was concerned Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen had only met once, in the barn of all places. It was about a week ago, Oliver had gone to the farm for a meeting with the senator.
Sometime after the meeting, Clark convinced him to go out to the barn to talk. It was then that he told Oliver about his intergalactic origins and the truth about Dark Thursday. All the answers that he had been searching for and in the middle of it all Chloe had walked in.
Not knowing what to do at that moment the two of them just stared at each other awkwardly waiting for the other to say something. Luckily Clark was none the wiser and introduced the two to each other, in retrospect it was a very hilarious moment, introducing two lovers to one another as if they didn't know each other.
"Oh, that explains it, but I still don't think Lex would kill a woman just to cover his tracks." Everything Lois had told him made more sense now, Lex was a lot of things but was he really getting to be this sloppy?
"Your first mistake was hurting someone I care for, the second was thinking I was alone. Now I'm only going to ask you this once before I let my friend here rifle through your brain like he lost his keys in there." Chloe moved next to john as he held the man against the wall and began what she was sure would be a short interrogation. "Do we have an understanding?"
The man kept quiet and just nodded his head. Chloe knew he was a weak fool he could pull a trigger, try to attack a defenseless woman but in a vice grip of an equal he was putty in her hands.
"Who hired you, and how did you know where the Green Arrow would be? Do you know his identity?" Chloe blasted the thug with question after question, the unbridled rage was evident on her face.
'Pull back your emotions Watchtower; they will cloud your judgment.' John told her using his telepathy. Pull back, how was Chloe supposed to keep her composure when the one person she cared for more than any other had almost died?
Chloe remembered the night that she found out the truth about who was after the Green Arrow. It was no surprise that Lex Luthor wanted the emerald archer dead. Oliver's team was becoming more and more of a thorn in the vipers side. Chloe was sure of this, her interrogations of the assassin wannabe was short as she thought it would be and she got most of the answers she wanted out of him.
Lex didn't know the true identity of the Green Arrow but he did know where the hero played, Oliver was becoming far too predictable. Chloe feared that it was partly her fault, if she hadn't given into him and his advances than maybe he would be more focused. For some reason though somewhere in the back of her mind she knew he wouldn't have given up on her.
The feelings were mutual of course Chloe would never give up on Oliver, even if the man did have a knack for making himself a target. Others in her life had the same issue, many in her life were magnets for trouble. But at the moment the Green Arrow had a price on his head, one that Chloe with some help of one Martian Manhunter would have to remove.
The extent of John's telepathy was still a mystery to her after all this time, but Chloe knew that her mentor was powerful. This was proven when he erased the thug's memories of that night and of anything that had to do with the Green Arrow. The display of power would have scared her to her core if Chloe didn't know the man behind the martian.
"Ring ring" Her phone brought her out of her thoughts "Hey Chlo, do you have anything that I could wear to the farm today."
"Whats wrong with what your wearing Lois, what's so special about today?" As the question came out of her mouth Chloe was reminded of what today was. That night in the ally was over a week and a half ago. Today was the Kent's thanksgiving party, how could she forget.
"Chloe, you there?" Her cousin's voice brought her back to the conversation.
"Yeah I'm here, um sorry cuz. I don't think I have anything, I barely have anything to wear myself. Most of my wardrobe is in the waiting line for laundry day." Chloe lied some of her stuff was waiting in the hamper to be washed but half of her wardrobe was currently taking up space in the closet of one Oliver Queen. When did they get that serious? Oh yeah the day they met.
Lana Lang watched as the butler poured Lex a glass of wine reminding her of her condition and the fact that she hadn't answered him yet on his proposal. Placing a hand on her abdomen she caught Lex's attention.
"You haven't said a word all night. Is everything okay?" Lex asked, he knew perfectly well what was wrong with her. She was in love with Clark and felt guilty for it. That was at least a good sign.
"You've been so patient with me, with us." At the sign that she wanted to talk about their relationship, Lex motioned for the servants to leave. "I went to see Clark,"
"And?" He could only bring himself to say one word as she paused.
"I have feelings for him and maybe I always will." At the sight of him turning away Lana got up from her chair and knelt in front of Lex with pleading eyes. "Lex I couldn't say yes to you knowing that I might have regrets. You deserve better than that, and now I know what I want and who I love."
"So just for clarification…" Lex smiled a little thinking he had this girl right where he wanted her. He loved Lana as much as he could love anyone, he still questioned if he was capable of loving another.
"Yes, Lex Luthor I will marry you." Lana said and hugged rested his head on her shoulder and smirked a smirk that only a Luthor could have. Everything was falling into place, his plans were coming together perfectly. Lana had started out as a pawn in his game against Clark but now she was on her way to becoming an equal.
"Happy Thanksgiving Lex." Lana said clinging to her husband to be, she had said yes. In truth when she went to Clark she had fully intended to put in perspective her role in his life and his in hers. But her whole plan was derailed when she saw him with Lois Lane, they looked so right together.
"Thanks John, no it's okay I understand I'm on my way." Chloe said pushing the end button on her phone and terminating the call, damn of all the times in the world to have to rush off. It wasn't too inconvenient, just irritating Chloe would have to drive all the way back to Metropolis just to meet with him and then it was off to where she wasn't sure but she was going to have a busy night.
It was warmer in the barn than she thought it should be. What a party, that was going on in the old farm house and the guest list was an odd one. Lionel Luthor and Oliver Queen at the same table who would have such a thing was possible. Some things could only happen in Smallville. Considering the bad blood between the billionaire families Chloe didn't think that Oliver would make an appearance, but he had been invited by Clark, it wasn't often that he told the farm-boy no.
Chloe could feel warm lips on her neck and was about to tilt her head to give the person kissing her neck better access, when she suddenly reminded herself where she was. Chloe quickly jump away and tuned a furious gaze on the man standing behind her.
"Ollie, what do you think you're doing someone could catch us." She whispered harshly and smirk at his childish antics.
"Well that's half the fun, besides they're all sitting around the fireplace telling stories and digesting their food." Oliver embraced her and put his head on her shoulder, grazing her neck with his lips again. "I don't think they even noticed me leave."
Chloe didn't reply, she just let him take control and as he moved her to the small red sofa Chloe was reminded why she felt so strongly for this man. Oliver was so sweet and strong, wow was the only word she could think of to describe him at this moment.
Oliver was in a state of bliss, he hadn't kissed her in over three days. It wasn't fair how busy their lives kept them and on top of that they were still a secret from their closest friend and the world. Chloe still wasn't ready, he could go with that for now, but sooner or later things were going to change and as he moved his lips over hers and let his hands roam her body he was reminded of how tiresome it was to be a dirty little secret.
"Chloe?" Martha Kent called out letting her presence known. Oliver swiftly rolled over the back of the couch and hid behind the small piece of furniture before the older woman made it up the stairs to the Loft. Chloe tried to fix her appearance and ruffled her blonde curls trying to make herself look presentable again.
"Hey, Mrs. Kent." Chloe sat up and was about to stand when the older woman came to sit down beside her.
"I was wondering what was taking you so long, I sent you out here for ice almost an hour ago." Martha said taking in the sight of her son's best friend. "Are you okay, you looked a little frazzled? In fact I've notice lately you haven't been looking to healthy you barely ate anything for dinner."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just fell asleep out here the couch is really comfy." She replied and turned her head to make sure Oliver couldn't be seen, that was odd she'd eaten plenty for dinner and she was actually gaining weight well muscle.
"Really I've been concerned about you Chloe, you work so hard and your always there for Clark and you've been so supportive about this Zoner problem." Martha said the last bit quietly making sure that no one was around to hear.
Oliver quirked an eyebrow as he sat crouched down a bit more. How was Chloe helping with the Zoner problem was she ok. Was Clark putting her in danger? A million thoughts went through his head about the matter he would have to confront her about it later.
"I assure you Mrs. Kent everything is fine, I'm fine just a little tired is all. The deadlines at the Daily Planet are just a little harder to meet than I thought they would be. I'm okay." Chloe felt like confessing all her worries to her, Martha Kent just exuded that you can trust me image. But if she said anything now Oliver would find out and she wasn't ready for him to know about her alliance with the Martian or her own vendetta against Lex Luthor.
"Alright if you say so, but I'm here if you need to talk." Martha made her way back down the stairs but stopped for a second. "Have you seen Mr. Queen around here, he slipped away to answer his phone and I haven't seen him since."
"No, I haven't but I'll send him in if I do." Chloe smiled her sweetest smile and watched as Mrs. Kent left the barn and made her way back to the house.
"Well that was interesting. Thought she saw us there for a minute." Oliver stood up and came to stand next to her. "I better get back to the party, so see you later tonight?"
"Actually no, I have an article to write and some investigating to do." She was going to try and avoid talking about the Zoner problem. If he didn't ask she wasn't going to tell as far as Chloe was aware Oliver knew about the escapees but nothing of her involvement in taking them down.
"Come on its Thanksgiving and it's been over three days, there's just so long a man can wait Chloe." The pleading look on his face made her giggle.
"A man can wait as long as it takes, but seriously I have to go my career is important to me and if the boss needs me to work on a holiday than I'm working it. There's no rest for the wicked you know that better than anyone." The sway of her hip told him she was being devious, gosh was he a lucky man. He watched her walk back to the house and waited a few minutes to make his appearance back to the party.
AN: Thank you for reading.