AN: Thank you again to all who have left comments, alerted etc.

Kudos to Hellzz-on-Earth for the beta, but all mistakes are still mine.


Chapter 5: Marchin' On

For this dance we move with each other, There ain't no other step, Than one foot right in front of the other, Oh, There's so many wars we fought, There's so many things we're not, But with what we have, I promise you that, We're marchin on, We're marchin on – One Republic

Star City, 11th October 2008

Early morning, moments after calling Clark.

Her mind must be playing tricks on her because she could've sworn moments ago she was crouching over Ollie trying to stem the bleeding while waiting for help to arrive. She couldn't place where she was now, the surrounds not looking familiar at all.

Glancing down at her clothes she was still wearing her dress from the party and what must have been Oliver's coat because it was entirely too big for her. Holding her hands out in front of her she noticed they were stained a faint red color but otherwise clean.

Where was she and more importantly where was Ollie? Putting her hands in the coat pocket in the hopes of finding a phone or anything else that would help her, she came up empty. Thinking about what to do next she jumped a little when a hand rested gently on her shoulder.

"Chloe."

She turned around and smiled with relief, wrapping her arms around him. Pulling back she noticed that his shirt was open exposing his torso. "Ollie, you're okay," her fingers running lightly over his chest confirming what her eyes were telling her - that he was fine, her touch sending a tingling sensation through his body.

"I saw you get shot, you were bleeding, it was horrible," she said as she lent into him, comforted by the fact that he was standing in front of her. Maybe the whole thing had been a bad dream?

He held her in his arms, as he had not an hour ago while they were dancing, marveling at the situation they found themselves in.

"This didn't happen before with your mom?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I am pretty sure you're a visitor to my mind palace." Proving that he was right the surroundings changed and they were standing on a secluded beach looking across a vast piece of ocean.

She looked at him eyes wide. "Like a Vulcan mind meld? No… this definitely hasn't happened before," she said her eyes darting around. Just another thing to add to what she didn't know about being meteor infected. Wanting to move away from that, she asked.

"Where are we and what's going on then?"

"I might tell you about where we are sometime but right now I really am lying on the pavement and I don't want you to join me there, so you need to leave," his hand motioning to the space around them.

"I'm fine," she said somewhat defensively starting to pull away from him. He held her a little tighter.

He sighed, half expecting that answer. "You are not fine." The moment she had put her hands on his wounds he had felt the flow of energy from her body. The sensation was like being wrapped in warm cocoon while all his cares and worries were drawn away and his body started to heal and then everything stopped.

He heard her call for help, place her hands back on him to stop the bleeding and it was when he realized that Chloe was probably in trouble because he could feel her frustration at her ability not working the way it had in the past and that she was getting weaker.

His wounds no longer felt fatal and for that he was grateful. But he needed her to stop because his fear was if she kept trying to give him something she didn't have she wouldn't be around when he opened his eyes for real, but everything hurt and he couldn't vocalize his concerns. Then in a twist she was there with him in his mind….somehow.

"I can feel it your not fine, your physical self is close to fainting. Please, you need to leave here and stop trying to heal me."

Successfully pulling away from him a little she looked up at him. He felt so solid even though this environment apparently wasn't. Her fingers were now caressing him like a lover would but, her eyes were full of anguish and he felt terrible that he was the cause of her eyes being anything other than smiling.

He was now sure that he had lost a part of his heart to Chloe Sullivan weeks ago. She was the light in his life, the person he looked forward to seeing the most, his saving grace. He cupped her chin and titled her head upwards, his thumb caressing her jaw line.

Before her brain could register his intentions and before he could talk himself out of what he was doing, he pressed his lips ever so softly against hers in what was meant to be a chaste kiss. The feeling of his lips on hers while completely unexpected was not unwelcome and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to pull him closer giving into one of her fantasies running her fingers through his hair while she deepened the kiss until the lack of air dictated that the stop.

Holy lip lock! On some plane of existence Oliver Queen had kissed her and she'd kissed him back. And she enjoyed it. It was…it was, damn she was speechless and not a little bewildered. In that one move Oliver had gone from friend, sometime boss, housemate and guy with great abs, to well...

Foreheads now pressed together she wanted to say something, let him know that things didn't have to get weird... that they were still friends, that the kiss didn't have to mean anything. They could just chalk it up to a surreal experience based on the fact that they were both in emotional distress at the minute.

The trail of kisses he was leaving leading to the pulse point by her neck silenced those thoughts. Okay she was lying to herself. She wanted it to mean something, or the beginning of something. Startled at her revelation she heard him whispering in her ear "I don't want you to leave... but I need you to let me go Chloe, please."

If her physical condition wasn't critical he would have loved to explore this realm with her, to enjoy this connection they had, maybe even to define what was revealed in that kiss. Still if he was wrong about his physical condition and he didn't make it back to the land of the living, at least the universe had given him this perfect moment.

She knew from the look in his eyes that his concern for her wellbeing was genuine his words echoing through her body. He didn't want her to leave. But ever a hero he would put someone else's needs above his own and right now she didn't have the heart to argue with him so she would try and do as he asked. She focused on finding the tether to her physical body so she could follow it back.

"I better see you breathing where you said you are or I will find a way to haunt you in your afterlife" she said kissing him again fervently. She didn't know who was more surprised, Oliver that she had kissed him again or herself that she felt brazen enough to kiss Oliver Queen...even if it wasn't in the real world.

When she opened her eyes she could feel herself being drawn back to her physical body, Oliver fading from her line of sight, the loss of his arms around her leaving her feeling momentarily empty until she felt the pavement under her knees. Opening her eyes in reality she saw the small rise of his chest and she sent a little murmur of thanks to the universe that he was still breathing.

She heard three voices calling her name at once, Clark, Emil and…her mom. Given Clark's expected response time it wouldn't have even been that long since she called him. Yet a whole lot had happened since she had called her best friend. But before she could ponder on it any further her vision became blurry and her head started to spin, a pair of arms catching her as she toppled backwards and then blacked out completely.

-xxXxx-

Victor held out a paper bag to Bart. "Figured you'd be hungry after all your running around."

Bart grinned. "Thanks man." The mission they were on in Russia aborted the moment Mary had called Bart. AC, Bart and Victor had arrived back in Star City shortly after Clark, and Victor had gotten to work trying to determine who shot Ollie.

The man just could not get a break in Vic's opinion. Things had finally started to turn around for him and this happened.

"Aquaman, Cyborg, and Impulse, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

They turned swiftly to see a middle age man of African-American appearance in a dark trench coat

"I am Detective John Jones, and a friend to Kal-El. I believe I can help you."

-xxXxx-

Star City, 11th October 2008

Bart couldn't help a self satisfied grin while looking at the three men on the floor that the SCPD were currently reading rights to. With all the resources at their disposal it hadn't been that hard to track down the crew suspected of shooting Ollie.

It had however turned out to be a little harder to subdue them… good thing the four of them had the upper hand in dishing out there own brand of surprises and the SCPD had provided 'back up' as requested by Detective Jones. Thinking of who, Bart was curious about a couple of things, its not like they really had a chance for a meet 'n' greet before they got started.

He thought about how to ask what he wanted to know toying with 'Ah amigo those are some seriously wicked abilities your packing' and 'So what are you meta, meteor infected, hit by a bolt of lightening?' neither of which was really a great conversation starter.

'Martian' Bart's eyes went wide as he looked at the man in front of him. He hadn't seen his mouth move.

'I am Martian' the voice said in his head. The guy was an awesome ventriloquist or telepath.

'Well I guess they got the little green part wrong ….' he thought in an half attempt at humor. Plus he had never met a telepath before and wasn't entirely sure that the man in front of him was one.

"In my natural form I am green, however I agree about the little part. I am taller than you. And one of my abilities is telepathy," John answered again without moving his mouth.

"Seriously," Bart replied vocally not knowing how to respond to that and watching the Martian's mouth curl upwards in a small smile. Motioning to the guys that were now being loaded into the back of a police van he asked, "so what happens to them now?"

"They will be taken back to the precinct and questioned," John replied.

"Do you think they'll talk?"

"I'd prefer it if they did, but I don't need them to in order to get the truth."

"Dude, I am so glad you are on our side…" Bart said as he watched the police van pull away.

-xxXxx-

Star City, 12th October 2008

Clark wasn't that fond of hospitals. It generally meant that someone close to him was hurt and he had spent a good part of his youth by the beside of the person he had now been hovering over for hours listening to her heartbeat slowly getting stronger.

He hated that she was sooooo guarded about her ability, which he had no doubt was the reason she was in the state she was in. Truthfully if anyone would understand the process of terror, apprehension and then acceptance of an out-of-this world gift it would be him right? Yet she hadn't really talked to him much other than to express her fear of what it meant to be a member of the meteor infected community and that had been before Knox had tried to cut her heart out.

Yeah he was a little pissed at her for holding out on him. What was the point of being a best friend if your friend couldn't talk through life altering things? Then again he had noticed that she had formed a bond with Oliver. Maybe he had been replaced? He felt his heart constrict a little at that thought. Before he could think through what that might mean he noticed her heart rate accelerate and she bolted upright with a start.

"Ollie…" she cried in panic, looking around the room.

"Chloe you're okay," he said a little relieved and gave her a hug. She looked around the room a little disorientated.

"Ollie," she asked again her eyes pleading for an answer.

"Your mom is with him, he's stable. So what happened?"

"Ollie was shot," she said somewhat confused as to why he was asking her an obvious question.

Trying to convey his 'I am being patient look' at her he continued. "I know that, I meant to you. The last time you were out for this long with exhaustion you healed your mom, but this time….."

She looked at him with her big green eyes, barley registering his words, a sense of guilt washing over her that she couldn't spare Ollie the pain he was obviously going through.

"Yeah well its not like I have a button that says 'push one for healing bullet wounds' or that I know what's going to happen every time I try to use my ability," she said a little snappishly. She moved to get off the bed she had been on when she felt her vision blur.

"Chloe, I don't think you should be up, why don't you lie down while I see if Dr Hamilton is free," he said, disappointed that she didn't look like she was going to talk to him any time soon.

She nodded and lay back down images from the pervious couple of hours filing her head. She needed to see Ollie for herself and sat up again. When she didn't feel herself getting dizzy, she gingerly placed her feet on the ground.

"You know after the trauma you've been through no one would blame you if you took it easy."

She stilled at the voice.

"Lionel...what are you doing here?" she asked as calmly as possible.

"I wanted to see how you were both doing before Martha and I left the state."

He was close, and while things had been much better over the years since she had testified against him in court…there was something about being this close and alone to the man who had had his own turn at being the devil incarnate especially when she wasn't feeling on form.

"Well cat hasn't gotten my tongue, so I must be okay," she snarked back, mentally trying to prepare her defenses. Lionel moved closer so he was standing directly in front of her.

"Good, can't have one of my key research staff indisposed."

Chloe eyebrows raised a little. "Your key research staff?"

"Surely you did your homework on the company before you accepted your position with DC Media. If you did you would know that I own a controlling share of those stocks."

A sense of de-ja-vu hit her and her stomach dropped as she pieced together what that might mean.

"So what now you're here to pull in a favor, holding my job over my head. If I'm not mistaken we've already done this dance so I'll save you the trouble. I quit."

"So quick to give away a good thing just to spite me. After all, I am not sure in this current economic climate you'd be able to find a job so easily."

"That's not your concern."

"Oliver shares your sentiments mostly, however he was at least willing to hear me out. I had hoped to talk to him further about a proposition. Unfortunately with Friday's events that won't be possible. Which by the way you do need to be less sloppy. I think when the truth comes out, someone went through a lot of trouble to verify your rumored ability and chose somebody your close to get confirmation."

While she still felt guilty about the fact that Ollie was in Intensive Care, she realized now that if Oliver had of gotten up off the sidewalk without a scratch in front of all those witnesses it would have attracted unwanted attention. Lionel watched her face pale with all the implications of her actions.

"I think you've stated your point clear enough," she said coolly.

"Perhaps, but enough of that. I need to know Miss Sullivan, what are you willing to do to protect your hero's, to make sure there identities stay hidden and that you have enough money to fund your efforts?"

"I believe the better question would be, what wouldn't I do."

Lionel turned to leave. "I thought so. Take care Ms Sullivan and make sure Oliver listens to the doctor."

-xxXxx-

Meanwhile elsewhere in the hospital

Oliver had been in and out the last twenty-four hours and he had noticed that he was rarely left without company.

The last time he had been in hospital for any length of time, there had been no team or friends of any kind. It had been one of the most heart wrenchingly bitter and lonely experiences of his life. Not one person in his exhaustive list of contacts had felt the desire to enquire about his well-being or even send him a virtual get-well card. It had been one of the times his 'indifferent persona' had come in handy.

So while feeling alone was nothing new to Oliver, feeling like he was important to several someone's still was. A part of him kept waiting for them to realize that they could do better and that really he had nothing to offer them.

When he had first woke up, Bart had been at his bed side. While he had been a little disappointed that Chloe had not been the first person he saw, Bart was thing next best. Obviously trying to keep things light Bart had spent his time trying out 'pick up lines' some of which Oliver thought might actually work. Emil had banned him though until further notice for making his patient laugh, causing him to pop several stitches.

He second bout of wakefulness, he had heard Victor chatting to him about various sports and a couple of ideas he had for a proper WatchTower HQ. No one could ever say that Victor Stone didn't dream big. A space orbiter with teleportation capacity was his pitch. Victor mentioned he thought Ollie was too out of it to take much notice of what he was saying, but Oliver had heard every word.

The third time he had felt himself coming out of a medication induced fog a blonde head had been reading a magazine quietly in chair by his bed. For a moment his heart skipped a beat before a flush of color tinted his cheeks as he remember kissing her. Except it wasn't her that was sitting in the chair, it was her mom. He hadn't met many 'moms' in his life but he held Mary in the same esteem as he held Martha Kent.

Both were strong, driven women who looked after others and it had been his privilege to help them out when circumstances had presented themselves. He hoped she wouldn't give him any grief if Chloe and he took their friendship to the next level.

Mary and Detective John Jones of the SCPD had then spoken to him. Thinking he was pretty immune to bombshells at this point in his life, he had to figuratively eat his words when it was revealed that not only was this Detective Jones aware of his alter ego, but that he was another intergalactic traveler. Where had he been when Green Arrow needed an ally?

The good news was that they had charged someone for his shooting. The bad news being, he had ties to Lex and apparently the whole thing had been set up to test Chloe's rumored ability. The latter part suppressed from the confession.

He was now currently without company which gave him a chance to think about Chloe and him. Part of him wanted to kiss her into tomorrow amongst other things and the other part of him wanted to push his feelings aside for her own good. She wasn't safe and he couldn't protect her.

The door of his room opened, and he heard the soft footfalls of a female.

"Hey Ollie." Her voice sounding like music to his ears, her small hand placed in his.

He opened his eyes and gave her a small smile.

"Hey, come to make sure you don't need to haunt me in the afterlife…"

Her cheeks flushed a little, their last conversation was obviously real for him too. It was hard to explain exactly what happened while they were both on the pavement. Without having the chance to talk to Emil or even her mother, the only thing she could surmise was that she had been able to form a connection with Oliver that had allowed her to 'speak' to him. Maybe it was a mutation of her power. After all her mother could 'speak' to her and control her without being anywhere near her.

"Well it seems that you kept up your end of the deal, so I don't have to." She said quietly. Lionel's words came back to her. Oliver was here because someone had wanted to test her ability. It had made her both angry and fearful for her friend's life. What if they weren't satisfied with the outcome?

"Lionel came to see me just before. He seemed to think that you being shot was a ploy to get me to reveal my ability."

He nodded his head a little "Your mom and Detective Jones pretty much confirmed that Lex was behind that."

The last half hit her like a tone of bricks. Oliver was in hospital and in pain because of some sick ploy by Lex. All the guilt she felt for Oliver's condition, the anger that she felt at Lex for again interfering with her life and the fact that she was just plane tired caused tears to spill.

"Hey, no need to cry for me," he murmured squeezing her hand gently.

She bought his hand up to her cheek the tears splashing over him. "I'm sorry, so sorry, Ollie," she said feeling awful about the situation and then she smiled a little as she felt her energy leaving her body and a sense of peace enveloping them both.

Oliver blinked in surprise as he immediately felt his wounds healing and strength returning to his limbs. Then he felt alarm as he watched Chloe slowly turning blue. He was about to call for Emil when a faint tug made him put his ear towards her lips.

"Ollie," she murmured "Stay with me, while I sleep."

He gently picked her up and laid her out on the bed making sure that her clothing wasn't to restrictive, before laying down next to her. His arms were now holding her close to him. He was wrong before he was now pretty sure that he lost his whole heart to Chloe Sullivan and he didn't want to let her go – ever. Making sure that she was breathing he closed his eyes drifting off into the first deep sleep he had had since the whole John and Nicholas mess.

To be Continued


Coming in future Chapters:What Vegas has in store for our adorable blondes, Lionel's plan and the consequences. Some angst ahead!

Thanks for reading.