She wasn't expecting anyone, Emil wasn't supposed to come by, Lois didn't even know the Watchtower existed, the Toy Man was being handled by the authorities by now and Clark didn't knock.
Chloe picked up the gun that had been carefully hidden under her main desk and made her way towards the door, her eyes widening when she made out the face that was standing outside.
With a deep breath, Chloe hurriedly unlocked the door and pulled it open, her eyes widening even more when she took in his appearance, Clark had told her what had happened at the press conference, and she knew enough about what had been going on with Oliver up to a few weeks before today, until her camera was discovered. But seeing him like that still shocked her into silence for a few long seconds.
He drew in a breath and looked up to meet her eyes briefly. "Hi." For the life of him, that was the only thing he could force himself to say. There was just nothing left. He'd come here to apologize, to try and make amends, and now he wasn't sure he'd even be able to choke out a full sentence.
The gun was hanging on her side now, and she couldn't take her eyes off of his face, she was grateful that he was alive and even more grateful that he was standing there, reaching out, but it didn't make it any easier to see him like that, to think of what he had just tried to do to.
"Come in," she said quietly as she took a step back and opened the door wider to make room for him, a small smile on her lips.
"It doesn't matter, Chloe. It shouldn't have been him. Jimmy didn't do anything wrong. He didn't hurt anyone. He didn't--" He shook his head and resumed pacing. "He shouldn't have been the one." He swallowed hard, his stomach clenching.
Chloe finally took a couple of steps forward, effectively stopping his pacing and looking him straight in the eyes for the first time since he arrived, "no, he shouldn't have," she repeated but her voice was firm this time, "but hurting yourself isn't going to bring him back, it's not going to make things better, it's only going to hurt the rest of us more and I think we've lost enough, Oliver."
He was caught off guard when she stepped in front of him, stopping him. When he'd been with Lois in the elevator a few weeks ago, he'd come close to breaking down. The night before when Tess had shown up in Mexico and saved his ass from a large man with a gun, and proceeded to try and get him to open up, he'd been even closer to breaking. He hadn't looked at either of them.
But now he found he couldn't look away from Chloe and for a moment he couldn't breathe and his chest was tight, his eyes dark with despair. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking.
She didn't look away either, but she noticed the change in his eyes and she could tell he was confused, lost and hopeless, without thinking, she stepped closer and placed her hand over his upper arm, "you don't have to be sorry, Oliver, just let me help you." This time, her voice was soft.
He didn't argue. There was no fight left in him. "Okay," he murmured, sitting down heavily on the sofa and then stretching out, resting an arm over his eyes and exhaling slowly.
Chloe pulled the blanket that was on the back of the couch over him, she hesitated for a moment then sat down on the floor next to the couch, reaching for the hand that wasn't over his eyes and taking it in both of hers, she wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't alone.
He gripped her hand in return, glad for her presence. For her comfort. It was the first time he'd allowed himself that from anyone in a very long time.
With a relieved sigh, she squeezed his hand softly, nodding, "rest, I'm not going anywhere," she reassured him quietly.
When Jimmy and Davis died and Clark left, Chloe had been so focused on trying to find Lois, Oliver, Bart, Dinah and the others that she hadn't really given much thought about how everything that happened had affected them. It was only when she started following them, especially Oliver, that she realized no one was really doing well, they weren't simply avoiding Metropolis or giving her time, they were drowning in their own guilt just like she was.
That was when she decided that the best way for her to start forgiving herself was to focus on helping them forgive themselves.
Comments 42
Chloe picked up the gun that had been carefully hidden under her main desk and made her way towards the door, her eyes widening when she made out the face that was standing outside.
With a deep breath, Chloe hurriedly unlocked the door and pulled it open, her eyes widening even more when she took in his appearance, Clark had told her what had happened at the press conference, and she knew enough about what had been going on with Oliver up to a few weeks before today, until her camera was discovered. But seeing him like that still shocked her into silence for a few long seconds.
"Oliver?"
Reply
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
"Come in," she said quietly as she took a step back and opened the door wider to make room for him, a small smile on her lips.
Reply
Reply
Reply
But now he found he couldn't look away from Chloe and for a moment he couldn't breathe and his chest was tight, his eyes dark with despair. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
When Jimmy and Davis died and Clark left, Chloe had been so focused on trying to find Lois, Oliver, Bart, Dinah and the others that she hadn't really given much thought about how everything that happened had affected them. It was only when she started following them, especially Oliver, that she realized no one was really doing well, they weren't simply avoiding Metropolis or giving her time, they were drowning in their own guilt just like she was.
That was when she decided that the best way for her to start forgiving herself was to focus on helping them forgive themselves.
Reply
Leave a comment