AN: Thank you to all those who added a fav or alert since the last time I posted. Also a big thank you to those who left reviews for the last chapter.
Special thanks to Hellzza_on_earth for the pre read. All mistakes are mine though.
Quick recap: Chloe lost her job at the Planet and moved to Star City. Oliver lost his business and got shot. Chloe healed him and they started dating. Lionel knowing his number was up, arranged a marriage between Oliver and Chloe seeking redemption for killing Oliver's parents. Oliver headed to India in an attempt to come to terms with that and returned in time to save Chloe from an uncomfortable conversation with Lex. They are now trying to figure out - where to from here.
Chapter 9: November Rain
And when your fears subside and shadows still remain, oh yeah I know that you can love me when there's no one left to blame, So never mind the darkness we can still find a way, Nothin' lasts forever even cold November Rain. – Guns n Roses
Star City, 19th November 2008
They were engaged in their normal morning ritual, she sipping coffee, he saluting the sun. It was routine, part of their lives before life had been turned upside down. Once they left the balcony Mr & Mrs Queen would be taking phone calls, and there were stories to write, lawyers to consult, a company to rebuild, research to be done and bad guys to take down. Right now though it was just them.
"Admiring the view?" She smiled at the familiar question, tempted to give him a sarcastic retort. Not today though. His self-worth had taken enough of a beating over the last couple of months.
"It looks mighty fine this morning Mr Queen," she said good-naturedly looking at him. Her reward was one of his dazzling smiles. He finished holding his final pose and made his way to the table picking up his towel.
"And what a beautiful morning it is," dropping a kiss to her lips. He paused and put the back of his hand on her forehead.
"You feeling okay, you're a little pale."
"I'm fine." She knew she wasn't a hundred percent but she had felt well enough to avoid a visit to Emil and there had been no repeats of her feeling drained when she was around people.
Oliver raised an eyebrow giving her a pointed look. "If you say your fine, okay. But my instincts tell me to call you on your story." One thing Oliver had learnt in his months of being a housemate, was that Chloe hated burdening people.
She changed tack, opting for honesty rather than dismissal. "It's probably just stress," she said taking a sip of her coffee.
He nodded his head…she had been through a lot in the last few weeks, certain that 99% of the stress she was referring to had to do with their arranged marriage, him taking off to India and Lionel's death.
They hadn't had a chance to really talk about what happened, what it meant for them and that made him feel guilty. That they cared about each other was never a question, that they could make a long-term relationship work; there really hadn't been time to find out if that was a reality.
Chloe looked at Oliver's face. He was guilt tripping himself again. She had seen him do it dozens of times the last few months over things he had no control over.
"Hey, sunshine none of that guilty pouting. We'll get through this. Like we have with every other unexpected event the last couple of months." Out of all the diabolical things Lionel could have done to them, legally binding them together was far from the worst. His worldly gifts to them had been most generous. She just wished he had included express passes to 'True Love' and 'Happily Ever After' with his gifts as well. Chloe had some ideas about how to get more time together so they could work on those objectives and she planned on trying one out tonight.
He sighed and smiled a little at her reassurance "Thanks for the get out of jail free card sidekick." She had been giving him a lot of those and he was just grateful that she hadn't shut him out.
The alarm signaled the end of their reprieve. "Come on we both have a busy day ahead."
-xxXxx-
It was 1:30 am and the Penthouse was pitch black, the sound of rain hitting the windows the only sound. Chloe was probably already asleep in her room, his teleconference with China going much later than he had hoped.
Heading towards his room he glanced at the portrait of them in Vegas that was tucked away in a corner. He had seen the wedding footage and it was surreal to say the least. Not for the first time he wondered how he had felt as he said I love you during the ceremony or made love to Chloe in the comfort of their room. Both relationship milestones that they couldn't remember and were artificially induced by a drug.
He shook those thoughts out of his head, it was no use thinking about them. Lionel was right, Chloe would never leave him high and dry but he wasn't so sure that he was the best guy for her and he wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.
Starting to take his clothes off he made a mental list of things he wanted to ask Chloe in the morning starting with if she thought they could arrange lunch or dinner breaks together so they could start those discussions they hadn't gotten to yet.
He reached for his bedroom light "Mmm don't turn the light on."
"Arghhh" he squealed.
She giggled "I never knew you squealed like a Queen."
He looked at the mop of hair sticking out from under the covers, the natural light coming in from the window providing the illumination. "Chloe!" His voice clearly surprised.
"Someone else in your bed is a possibility?" she asked flatly.
"No."
"Glad we got that sorted, then."
She shifted until she was sitting up wearing an amused expression. "So, are you coming to bed? I'm not here to take advantage of you if that's what you're worried about."
He stood there for a couple of seconds completely at a loss – real smooth Queen.
Stripping down to his boxer briefs he settled into his side of the bed. "Okay, what's up now that you've got me where you want me?" he asked, not sure what the agenda was if she wasn't intending on taking advantage of him this late.
She moved back down into the bed lying on her side facing him, the sudden proximity of a mostly naked Oliver in bed with her making her second-guess the wisdom of her not intending to take advantage of him. Stop drooling Chloe and focus, you came here to talk. Yeah they had enough to deal with let alone raging hormones.
"I've missed being around you, talking to you. Everyone wants a piece of us and we don't get to start conversations let alone finish them."
"Yeah I know what you mean, I was thinking the same thing."
"So I thought pillow talk."
She immediately felt a shift in the bed as he rolled over and whispered in her ear. She figured she'd set herself up for his response but at 2:00 am it stuck her as funny and she let out a merry laugh. He noted the musical quality in her voice, a small smile crossing his face that he'd been able to add some levity to the situation. It had been awhile since he had heard her laugh like that.
They lay in silence a few moments after she stopped laughing. "Seriously Ollie, if this arrangement is going to make you uncomfortable I can go," she said softly.
He grabbed her hand as she started to leave. "No, this is actually…. nice…coming home to you and a warm bed, even if it's just to talk."
"Okay." She moved closer to him and bought up a fairly ordinary question. "So how's being back at work?"
"Good. Thankfully things didn't implode too badly while I was away." Emerson hadn't been happy with him that he had been gone when they were in a critical rebuilding phase, but had gotten over it after Sam had stepped up to cover the gap. Taking the opportunity she had presented he bought up something he had wanted to talk to her about.
"I do need to meet with the new majority shareholder though. See if our visions are in line," he said referring to her fresh status as a business owner in her own right.
"I'm sure she won't give you any trouble."
"I know, but I don't want her to agree to everything just because I said so."
"Oliver you are the heart and soul of the company. I trust that you will use your judgment to make decisions that are in the best interests of as many people as possible."
"That's what I mean Chloe, you giving me a blanket go-ahead to do what I want."
"I know those share-certificates in my name are non-transferable to you. But for all intents and purposes you control the majority of the voting stock. I would never question your judgment when it comes to the company."
"Can I be honest?"
"Always."
"Lionel gave everything to you for a reason, it's yours not mine and if it was mine I would likely burn the papers over his grave and walk away, rather than accept his charity."
His reaction wasn't totally unexpected. She had been struggling a little herself with the idea of being Lionel's heiress and the implications both real and perceived that came with that.
"I can understand wanting nothing to do with his money. There is this perception that because he gave me most of his wealth that we were close, which isn't how I see it. Or sometimes I think maybe I did sell myself out, but at the same time I'd prefer to control it over Lex who would likely use it to fund things that I am diametrically opposed to." She paused a little.
"I don't know that we have to decide anything right now…it's late, but I am open to ideas on what to do with the Luthor legacy, if you don't want it in the family so to speak, provided it benefits someone in need. Burning it doesn't really benefit anyone."
"You would really give all your millions away?"
"Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of having more than enough to help people. But what I want more is for us to be able to get past this shadow, to find our feet and not feel bound to something we had no control over."
"Ditto. You're one in a billion Chloe Sullivan." He caressed her back and she snuggled into him of her own accord, her breathing telling him that she was drifting off to sleep.
"Sweet Dreams," he whispered.
-xxXxx-
Star City, 23rd November 2008
Chloe was cold, wet and hungry and she couldn't remember if they had anything left in the fridge that she could heat up.
"Hey, there you are," he came over to greet her. It had been there second weekend together. "Enjoy your walk?"
She jumped a little at the warmth of his hand and the genuine smile. They had made great progress in the last couple of days. They had sorted out a lot of their business empire and their strategy to keep LuthorCorp in line. Oliver had also been candid about his experience on the Island she had caught a glimpse of during their mind meld, how he knew Tess and how he had ended up at the Ashram the first time.
She was grateful he had felt comfortable enough to share those experiences with her. But him being able to open up had made her increasingly frustrated about her inability to share what had really stopped her from being all in from the beginning when she had asked to go slow.
She'd also had to have a serious talk to herself, because the last few nights she had wanted more of him than she was currently getting. It was like her body remembered what it felt like to have him worship her even if her brain didn't. Also if she was brutally honest, he was it for her. Lionel had made sure of that.
Which is why she had gone for a very long walk to burn off her pent up energy and it had started to rain on her way back.
"You're so warm" her hands slipping under his shirt, causing him to shiver.
"Not hard to do when your hands are like icicles sidekick. Why don't you take a hot shower, I'll make you something to eat, then I can show you what I've done since you've been out."
She didn't move from her spot, her fingertips exploring the planes of his chest trying to rationalize her actions. Talking to herself hadn't helped, neither had the walk. If anything having him this close to her crumbled any resolve she had left not to start something she hoped they finished.
Then she was moving them both towards the nearby stairs, positioning herself on the first rung before kissing him fervently, her hands moving suggestively to tug on his pants. A small moan escaped her throat as she felt her extremities tingle in anticipation.
"Too many clothes" she murmured. His lower brain completely agreed with her.
Part of him wanted to protest that it was to soon for them, but truthfully he couldn't stop thinking about her.
"What are we doing?" he asked breathlessly wanting confirmation that this is what she wanted.
Her lips caressed the nape of his neck, her body already feeling the fire his touch bought. "I want to know" she panted in between her kisses.
"Know what?"
She looked at him, his face now between her hands. "I want to know what it feels like to make love to you and I want to be able to remember this time."
Nodding his head, he mouthed "me too" before taking charge kissing her deeply and carrying her to their room.
Hours later he gently brushed aside a stray strand of hair from her face as he watched her sleep…his Chloe, his wife, feeling compelled to voice his thoughts even though she wouldn't hear it.
"I never thought I would find anyone who would want to be with me, Oliver Queen, for richer, for poorer, and all that stuff. Yet here you are, through impostors, company restructures, shootings and an arranged marriage to boot. I truly believe I'm not alone anymore. I'm yours, however you want me and I promise I will do everything I can to make sure you never regret that I am the man you are stuck with until death do us part."
-xxXxx-
Star City, 27th November 2012
She downed the tablets hoping it would stave off the cold or flu or whatever it was that had caused her to throw up that morning. Oliver had been hovering and had been okay with caning Thanksgiving if she wasn't well enough. But she had most definitely wanted to go ahead with the luncheon.
So far the thanksgiving festivities had been going great. Mary had decided to let Lois in on her identity and Chloe had supported that whole-heartedly. One less secret to keep from her cousin who thought that secrets were just a loophole in the 'I shall not lie' clause. Ironic now she had one to keep and she understood the reason.
"Alright cuz. What's going on?"
"Lois!" she said somewhat startled. Trust Lois to track her down in her little nook. "Nothing I'm fine."
Lois turned Chloe so that she saw her face.
"Tell me another one, you haven't had a drink, you said no to Mrs K's pie, and you constantly look like your going to barff. Are you pregnant? Is that why the wedding was so out of the blue… I'm going to be an Aunt….squee." Lois bear hugging her. "Don't worry I won't say anything…"
Chloe paled at Lois's assumption. Shit there was no way...except oh shit. OH SHIT.
"Lois" she said firmly. "I don't know that I am pregnant, in fact until you opened your mouth the idea that I could be hadn't occurred to me."
"Seriously…it didn't occur to you? The two of you have probably been going at it like bunnies and unless you've got back up for your back up its going to be a very real possibility for the next 20 or so years." Chloe gritted her teeth, she did not need a talk from Lois. Right now, she wanted a pregnancy test. But wanting was not getting, not right now at least.
She moved over to where Oliver was and whispered something in his ear and then made the rounds of the rest of the guests. She knew her mother knew something was wrong, but Mary just looked at her knowingly.
-xxXxx-
It was almost midnight when the guests had gone to their rooms and he made his way to theirs. Chloe had begged off in the early evening. He hoped that she was feeling better. He opened the bedroom door. She was sitting in one of the chairs by the window.
"Chloe." She turned, her eyes almost vacant.
"Oh..hi."
He came to sit beside her. "Are you not feeling any better."
"No." She almost sobbed. He caught the change in her breath like she had been crying.
"Have you been crying." She nodded.
"Are you in pain?" She shook her head.
"Have I done something to upset you?" She shook her head.
"Someone else then?" Again she shook her head
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" She shrugged her shoulders her eyes welling up with tears. And then she couldn't hold it in. She cried into his shoulder for all her fears and frustrations and he just held her, not wanting to push her into telling him what was wrong or to soothe her by telling her everything would be alright, because that could end up being an empty promise.
Of course Oliver wanted to know what happened, so he could either fix it or hurt someone for making her cry, he didn't like his wife crying. After she calmed down a little he handed her a couple of tissues.
"Are you going to talk to me?" She nodded her head.
"First I'm just going to wash my face okay" she placed a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth "thank you."
Looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she briefly berated herself for losing it in front of her husband. Shit. Husband. She was married. They could be having a baby. Whatever progress they had made felt like a lie all of sudden. She wasn't ready to be a mother. Wife, wife she could manage even though that 'title' was a decade too early in her opinion.
She came and sat back down next to him composing herself so she could articulate what was bothering her.
"Lois asked me something today that I hadn't thought of, and it reminded me that I haven't properly dealt with a lot of my personal issues." He bought his fingers up to her lips.
"Chloe you only have to tell me if you're ready to tell me." She grabbed his hand a gently placed a kiss on the back of it.
"We've come so far, and I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. I know you tell me that I am the strongest person you know, but I have my own set of fears. They are based on what happened when I was younger."
And so she told him how her mother leaving to protect her and her dad because she couldn't control her meteor ability had defined the lives of the Sullivan's for the next 10 or so years. Then she shared with him her own fears about being meteor infected. That one- day she too could be catatonic or worse hurt him or their friends. She then guided his fingers to the corresponding spots on her body where he had been shot.
"These are the scars from when I healed you."
"Chloe I would…."
"Shhhh…I know you would never have wanted me to do that if you had known and they will fade completely eventually. At least the scar from Lois's wound is gone." He was a little speechless, she took on people's injuries, had the scars to prove it. He hadn't known that. He thought the scars had just been another teenage incident.
"But that's another thing… I have these amazing gifts. What if something in my DNA can cure all disease or give people another chance with loved ones they thought were lost."
He found his voice. "Amazing gifts yes professor, but killer side effects. Do you have any idea how we all felt after you healed me at the hospital. We didn't know if you just sleeping and your mom kept trying to reassure us that you'd be okay, but we didn't know."
"I know. All this stuff is what I meant when I told you there was a lot going on with me. I didn't want to put either of us in a situation where we became more attached than we were in case I had to leave. You'd already gone through so much. Then you told me how sexy you found me. So I thought by going slow I would have time to find answers to my questions and get know who Oliver Queen was without any of his masks."
"Lionel really screwed that up didn't he."
"Yeah because I wanted to be able to tell you this and have some answers before I did. I don't have any answers. "
"I would do anything for you, you know that right? Doctors, labs, yoga instructor whatever you feel you need to get those answers, it's yours."
"I would do anything for you too."
"You've proven that time and again."
"Okay, I need you to keep an open mind about what I am going to tell you next and not freak out or run away."
His mind was churning through what she could possible tell him to put that caveat on him. "Nothing you say is going to make me run way. You and me we are in it for the long haul." He said firmly.
He saw a flicker of distrust before she continued. "You know how I been a little sick lately."
"Yeah" he said slowly.
"Lois asked me if I was pregnant and well I have some of the classic symptoms. I'm tired, having trouble keeping my food down and I'm late. And since we've been careful, Vegas came to mind."
"We're having a baby!" A dozen thoughts crossed his mind at once the one at the forefront was Lionel saying he had a second chance for a family that was home for him. Looking at the women in front of him though, he didn't know how she would cope with that, they were still trying to get themselves sorted.
"I don't know…I was kind of hoping you'd be around in the morning so we can find out together."
He stood up and engulfed her in a bear hug. "What ever you need." His hands rubbing soothing circles on her back. "How do you feel about the possibility of a baby?"
"All kinds of freaked out and it bought up all my fears about being meteor infected, ending up catatonic. And what if I pass on some freak genetic mutation that would make everyone's life miserable. Then I thought you might take off again back to India and I… I couldn't deal with that."
His heart felt like it was going to break. He knew that she understood why he had done that after Vegas. But he hadn't considered that it would cause her to doubt him in the future. Obviously he had been doing a shitty job of showing her how much she meant to him and that he had her back.
"Me leaving you in the lurch again like that, it's never going to happen. I've got you, no matter what happens and I'll do everything I can to prove that to you. I love you."
To be Continued
