Spoilers: Seasons 6 & 7
Summary: AU. Chloe seeks out a new life in Star City, far from the painful reminders of her life in Smallville. Set around seasons 6 & 7
Author Note: All comments and reviews are appreciated. They are my addiction, so please feed it! I need to know if I am doing things right.
A big thank you to Chloesilvers for being my beta on this project. Banner by selene2 - isn't it fab?
Oliver groaned as he woke up the following morning. He may have chosen to forget he was in a car crash, but his body certainly hadn't. He had fallen asleep folded over on Chloe's bed.
He winced as he pushed himself up and back into his chair.
"You look how I feel."
Oliver smiled as he looked over at Chloe. He got up and gently hugged her. He sighed happily as her good arm wrapped around his neck, holding him close.
"You don't know how glad I am to see you awake." He moved his chair closer to her and sat back down. "How are you feeling?" He asked, taking her hand in his without thinking.
"Everything seemed to hurt, but the nurse came by with some painkillers, so now I'm good. And slightly high, I think."
He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't hear her come in."
"That's nurse stealth for you." She could see he was about to start an inner monologue about how he should have been awake, looking out for her. "I'm amazed that you can tell the difference between the good and bad guys in your sleep."
"You're making up excuses for me now?"
"I can see the wheels turning in your head. You're too busy criticising yourself- someone needs to defend you. A little bird told me that you were in the same crash that I was; I think it's a given that you probably needed the rest."
Oliver absentmindedly rubbed his neck while giving her a slightly amused look. "I still shouldn't have fallen asleep like that. Anything could have happened."
Chloe repositioned herself, sitting more upright in the bed. She winced as she moved her right leg, making Oliver rise quickly to his feet. He helped to move her pillows to make her more comfortable.
"It was him, wasn't it."
There was no question there, Chloe just wanted the confirmation.
"Yes. Victor texted me – he retrieved two arrows from the scene of the crash. Merlyn shot out the tyres."
"It's getting too dangerous, Oliver. This guy just won't leave me alone. I think it's best that I get out of Star City for a while."
"No!" Chloe jumped at the intensity of Oliver's objection. Seeing the shock in her eyes, he forced himself to regain his composure. " I mean, you need to heal and recuperate. You'll struggle to cope with your arm and leg so badly injured."
"I'd rather struggle than be dead. It's clear that's what this guy wants, and I won't risk you or your team over this."
"You can have the best of both without leaving the city. I want you to stay with me until Merlyn is gone or at least until you are healed – whichever comes first."
"Look, I know you've taken it upon yourself to be my own personal hero, but I'm sure that time away could resolve this. He's scared I'll print his identity, and distance from the Gazette can only help."
Chloe squeezed his hand and looked at him in the eyes, intent on showing him her determination. "This guy has no problem hurting my friends. Despite how great an actor Victor thinks he is, I know he almost took an arrow for me the other night, and now you almost die for me – again! Whose life should I risk next?"
He should have known that she had picked up more than she let on, no matter how careful the team was. Regardless of how alert she was to her surroundings, if she left the city limits it would be game over and Merlyn would never stop until she was dead. Oliver knew he had to stop her, even if it meant tying her up and holding her captive.
"Chloe, this guy will follow you no matter where you go, and you would be defenceless. I'm not prepared to lose you because of some ridiculous Sullivan pride!"
Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I'm taking you home, like it or not. You were going to stay with me before the accident, the reasons haven't changed."
"You can't –"
"If you refuse, I'll have the doctors keep you hospitalised for longer than necessary. If you agree, I'll bust you out early. I'll hire a physical therapist to help you at home. So which do you prefer?"
He knew she hated hospitals, and that he was probably hitting below the belt, but he was desperate. She needed to stay.
"I refuse to take advantage of you or your money."
Oliver got up from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed, not once letting go of her hand. "I need you to understand what this means to me. I care about you, and friends help each other. If you were in my position, wouldn't you be offering the same?"
Chloe bit her lower lip as she struggled to think of a winning argument. As the seconds ticked by, Oliver knew he had won.
She let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay, I'll come back with you."
"Great. I'll talk to your doctors today."
"Since you're playing the white knight in this story, how about you help me sit further up the bed. I can't stop sliding down and it's a bitch to get back up."
Oliver smiled. "Sure." Hooking his arm under her good one, he helped to slide her back up as she pushed with her good leg.
"Soft tissue injuries are the worst." He said as he saw her wincing in pain.
"Thanks."
Oliver grinned. "I told you I would come in handy."
She smiled back at him. "Reign in the 'I told you so's, there."
"I'll try to hold back." Oliver retook his seat and watched as her smile faded.
"So…did they call Lois? She's still listed as my next of kin."
Oliver had hoped she would have forgotten about that, but this was Chloe – she never forgot the details.
"The nurses managed to get hold of her while you were in surgery."
"Oh. Do you know if she's coming here, or if she called back?" She tried to look as though the answer wouldn't matter, that she wasn't emotionally invested on the outcome, but he could tell otherwise.
Oliver highly doubted Chloe would be receiving any calls from her cousin in the near future. "The nurse said she wasn't able to fly in, but she has asked to be kept up to date."
"Maybe I should call her?" She said out loud. For a moment she thought quietly to herself before shaking her head. "But it's probably not the greatest of times to disturb her, right?"
Oliver could see the hurt hidden beneath the brave face. Chloe was making light of the fact that her cousin was only mildly concerned about her near fatal accident. If she didn't need him by her side right now, he would have flown directly to Metropolis and read Lois Lane the riot act. The woman really had changed, and it was not for the better. Instead of showing his anger, he gave Chloe a small smile and his reassurance.
"I'll call her to make sure she knows everything."
"Would you mind? I've still got a headache, and I'm probably not up to listening to Lois' dulcet tones just yet."
Oliver couldn't pinpoint when he had begun to start reading Chloe so well, but he could see the truth behind the tight smile. Lois wouldn't ignore a call from Oliver. It was better to be rejected by proxy than to have it confirmed personally that your loved ones didn't care.
A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. The nurse from the previous evening poked her head around the door before entering. "Chloe, I'm here to help you get washed and dressed for the day."
"That would be great." She said as her hand touched the dried blood in her hair.
Oliver smirked before leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "Does this mean I get to give you a sponge bath when you're discharged?"
Her glare was all the answer he was going to get. He was sure there was a scathing remark waiting to spill from her lips, but the presence of the nurse forced her to hold her tongue.
"As much as I would like to stay and see the show, I have a few calls to make."
Oliver continued to ignore the glare Chloe was giving him, and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room. After closing the door gently, he made his way down the hall and entered an empty waiting room. He dialled the Talon apartment's landline and waited to see if Lois picked up before the machine kicked in. She didn't.
"You've reached Lois' machine. You know what to do."
She had already changed Chloe's perky message to her own. Oliver knew exactly what message to leave, and he was just grateful no one was around to throw him out.
"Wow, Lois. This must be the first message left from a call you haven't screened. Not that you actually deserve to know, but Chloe's operation went smoothly. She's badly beaten up and needing to hear from her loved ones."
Oliver paced the room as his anger rose. "You do remember who she is, right? Maybe if you're not too busy being self-absorbed, you could find a way to get a message to Chloe – it's the least you could do. If it really is too much for you, do me a favour? Lose my number."
He was surprised his thumb didn't go straight through the phone as he ended the call. He had held himself back, and he needed an outlet for it.
After taking a few calming breaths he hit the speed dial for AC. It was picked up immediately.
"Dude, is Chloe okay?"
"She's fine. I'm going to try to have her discharged this afternoon."
"She's still coming back here, right?"
"I had to practically threaten her, but yes."
"Is she up for visitors?"
"Yeah. Actually, could you do me a favour? Could you bring a caramel macchiato with extra whip with you? Oh, and a few of those blueberry muffins too. They're her favourite."
There was a snicker over the line. "Sure. I'll get there when I can."
"Thanks. See you then." Oliver ended the call.
His thumb lingered over the numbers. He had toyed with the idea of calling a florist. Bart had snuck in a bunch of tulips while he had been asleep, and in his worry the previous night he hadn't thought about it.
Not wanting to be outdone he began to dial. If she liked tulips, boy, was she going to get them.
Oliver felt the whoosh of air before the line even connected. It was probably Bart. He turned towards the door, and he couldn't believe his eyes. Clark Kent.
"Oliver, where is she?"