Fic: Redemption (2/?)
Title: Redemption (2/?)
Author: Babette babettew54
Category: Smallville
Characters: Tess/Oliver, Lois/Clark
Rating: M
Word Count: 1,900
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Tess and Oliver see things differently now.
Beta: paradisekendra
Author’s Notes: This next chapter will reveal some startling facts, Lois and Clark visit Tess at the hospital, and later Oliver has some tough decisions to make about his future. I have to send out huge thanks to Paradise for keeping me on the right track especially with this chapter! Time travel is a b'tch, isn't it? *lol* Please read and review. Thanks, everyone! :D
Story banner by paradisekendra!
~o~o~
Previously:
( Chapter 1)
Chapter 2: Second Chances
Oliver thought that was the last thing he expected her to say, then he began to wonder. "Clark told us he tapped into Lois's memories, but he never mentioned you Tess, but apparently, we all died in the future, except Lois. How did you die Tess?"
She sighed and decided not to tell him about Chloe. "It's a long story, but I got caught in the cross-fire with Zod and his followers. It happened pretty quickly, but I saw it Oliver, all of it."
He came over to her then. "It must have been horrible for you, to see yourself die like that, but that doesn't explain my dreams, Tess."
She took his hand and he didn't pull away. "It's not the first time I've died Oliver. It seems to follow me around like that movie where death is waiting right around the corner, except this last time it happened." Her eyes watered. "Thank you again, Oliver, for saving me."
He stared at their joined hands and her tears then realized all those feelings he'd buried deep down inside his heart came bubbling to the surface.
Tess saw the play of emotions on his face and decided to continue. "Look at us, Oliver. We pretend that we don't care about each other, that there's nothing between us but friendship. Do you have any idea how much that hurts, especially after what happened on the island? I thought we were happy together. I thought ... I thought you cared about me."
He thought about her words. "Oh, Tess, you really have no idea do you?"
"No idea about what? Please, explain it to me, because I want to know why we ended up like this."
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Our relationship has always been … complicated, but I really have no idea why those dreams of your death kept coming to me over and over again. They wouldn't go away and I had to wonder if there was anything I could do to stop it from happening. So, Clark and I decided to bring you into the fold, set you up at Watchtower, so you could be safe."
She squeezed his hand. "I knew you still cared and I'll never forget that moment when you and Clark asked for my help, but I guess I put too much hope into it. I knew we still cared for each other, but I resigned myself to us being friends and it worked for a little while. Then you moved on to someone else and I decided that I wasn't going to stand in the way of your happiness," she admitted then closed her eyes as the pain of these next words tore at her heart. "I know you love her, Oliver. I guess you're right, none of this matters anymore." A stray tear slid down her cheek.
As he watched her struggle with her feelings, Oliver suddenly realized something. Tess had changed and it wasn't only her help at Watchtower, but it was her desire to look beyond her own needs to see what others needed as well. Was that pride he was feeling or was it something else?
She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Oliver was also struggling. "Why, Tess? Why are you bringing all of this up now?"
"I don't know, but … after last night, after what happened to me, I was wondering …?" She hesitated as she watched him closely.
He smiled as he finally accepted the truth. "What, what were you wondering?"
Oliver's smiles were entirely too irresistible to her. "Nothing, forget it."
"Oh, no, I'm not letting you off that easy. You started this, now finish it," he stated and smiled again.
Tess laid it all out then. "How do you really feel about me … about us?" The hope in her eyes was blinding.
There it was. He'd denied his feelings for her for so long, but he just couldn't do it not anymore, and certainly not after last night. His eyes wandered over her face, he touched her cheek, and then he leaned down just a little and kissed her ever so sweetly ... a kiss of promise and hope. He rested his forehead against hers after a moment.
"Oliver … I …?"
"No more talking, Tess, you're tired. Now, will you get some rest?"
She smiled. "Alright, I'll rest for a while, but only if you promise to come back later?"
"I promise," he replied and kissed her again but then he couldn't seem to stop.
~o~o~
Lois slowly opened the door to Tess's room and witnessed the kiss. She immediately pulled the door closed, turned around and directed her fiancé down the hall. She really didn't want to make a scene.
"What's going on? Was Tess asleep?" Clark asked confused as he looked back over his shoulder toward Tess's room.
"Well, I don't know, I couldn't see her face because well …" She hesitated.
"Well, what?"
She sighed. "Tess and Oliver … they were … umm … kissing."
"Really?" He asked as he glanced at the door again, not that surprised.
Lois watched his reaction to the news and he didn't seem upset about it. "You're not surprised?" Lois asked then she began to pace. "I suspected she still had feelings for him, but I thought it was one-sided."
Clark sighed. "Oliver has been … what's the word … conflicted?"
"I see, well, that makes everything just peachy," Lois mumbled.
Clark went over to her hoping to calm her down. He touched her arm. "Lois, did Chloe tell you that their marriage was invalid?" At her shocked expression, he continued. "Chloe told me so herself. They won't even discuss it for fear one of them wouldn't want to get married again."
"Chloe never said a word to me about it, but maybe they just need some time, and Oliver straying isn't helping the situation."
"You can't dictate what your heart feels. I think they still love each other."
Lois frowned and began to pace again not liking this at all.
Oliver appeared in the hall just then. "Hey, guys thanks for coming by, but Tess is asleep at the moment. You should come back in an hour or so." His words were met with silence.
"Why were you kissing Tess when Chloe isn't around?" Lois was getting upset.
"That's none of your business, Lois," Oliver answered.
"Oliver, you need to decide right now who you want. You can't keep bouncing between Tess and Chloe. It's not fair to them or to you," Clark stated hoping to get through to him.
Oliver sighed and thought about his words. He walked away and went over to the window. "You're right, I know that, but Tess is in my blood like a drug; I need her. I've tried to be friends, tried to keep my distance, but when I found her last night, something inside me just snapped. What I had feared the most had happened. For a few moments, she was dead and my heart cried out not for it to be true, and then I heard her pulse. I knew right then that I couldn't give her up again. I can't." He covered his eyes to hide his feelings.
Lois and Clark glanced at each other. Lois pointed her head several times toward Oliver silently saying for him to go to him.
Clark went over to him and touched his shoulder. "I know what you're feeling, Oliver. I almost lost Lois and I didn't think I could bear the pain if I lost her."
Oliver turned to his friend. "I knew you would understand, Clark. That's why when Tess is ready to leave the hospital she's coming home with me."
"You can't do that Oliver. You have to tell Chloe. You can't let her find out something like that on her own. Give her that much respect," Lois said.
"What kind of a person do you think I am? Of course, I'll talk to her."
"That's all we ask, Oliver," Clark said.
Oliver closed his eyes and sighed not looking forward to it.
~o~o~
Later that evening, Oliver arrived in Star City to talk to Chloe. She welcomed him as usual with open arms and he hugged her close. Chloe was a balm from the heartache that seemed to surround him when he wasn't with Tess, but she deserved so much more than that, so much more than he could give her.
"Welcome home, Ollie," Chloe said.
"Hi, Chloe," Oliver answered her. He sighed. "We need to talk."
Chloe's heart constricted. It was time for 'the talk', she realized. She had trained her heart to accept the inevitable, but now that it was time, she didn't think she could hold herself together.
Oliver saw her pain and it was if he could feel it too. "I'm so sorry, Chloe."
"So it's over." It wasn't a question.
He closed his eyes feeling it was better not to drag it out. "Yes."
Chloe left his side and went to sit down on the sofa afraid she might collapse from the pain at any moment.
"Are you alright?" Oliver asked as he came over to her and sat down beside her.
"I don't know. I don't feel anything. I'm numb."
He took her hand.
She immediately removed her hand from his. "You should go."
"But Chloe, I can't leave you like this."
"Go to her; it's where you want to be isn't it?" She looked at him and dared him to deny it.
"Yes, it is, but ..."
"But what ...?"
"Chloe, I know this hurts," he began.
"You have no idea how much. Please go," Chloe said as she covered her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, but please know, I never wanted to hurt you, Chloe."
She didn't respond, so he got up and went to the door, watched her for a moment and then he was gone.
TBC!
~o~o~
A/N: Tess and Oliver's history on the show is so complicated, but I hope those scenes played out alright. IMO, Chloe and Oliver had their time, but it couldn't last. Thanks for reading. Reviews are love. :D
Author: Babette babettew54
Category: Smallville
Characters: Tess/Oliver, Lois/Clark
Rating: M
Word Count: 1,900
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Tess and Oliver see things differently now.
Beta: paradisekendra
Author’s Notes: This next chapter will reveal some startling facts, Lois and Clark visit Tess at the hospital, and later Oliver has some tough decisions to make about his future. I have to send out huge thanks to Paradise for keeping me on the right track especially with this chapter! Time travel is a b'tch, isn't it? *lol* Please read and review. Thanks, everyone! :D
Story banner by paradisekendra!
~o~o~
Previously:
( Chapter 1)
Chapter 2: Second Chances
Oliver thought that was the last thing he expected her to say, then he began to wonder. "Clark told us he tapped into Lois's memories, but he never mentioned you Tess, but apparently, we all died in the future, except Lois. How did you die Tess?"
She sighed and decided not to tell him about Chloe. "It's a long story, but I got caught in the cross-fire with Zod and his followers. It happened pretty quickly, but I saw it Oliver, all of it."
He came over to her then. "It must have been horrible for you, to see yourself die like that, but that doesn't explain my dreams, Tess."
She took his hand and he didn't pull away. "It's not the first time I've died Oliver. It seems to follow me around like that movie where death is waiting right around the corner, except this last time it happened." Her eyes watered. "Thank you again, Oliver, for saving me."
He stared at their joined hands and her tears then realized all those feelings he'd buried deep down inside his heart came bubbling to the surface.
Tess saw the play of emotions on his face and decided to continue. "Look at us, Oliver. We pretend that we don't care about each other, that there's nothing between us but friendship. Do you have any idea how much that hurts, especially after what happened on the island? I thought we were happy together. I thought ... I thought you cared about me."
He thought about her words. "Oh, Tess, you really have no idea do you?"
"No idea about what? Please, explain it to me, because I want to know why we ended up like this."
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Our relationship has always been … complicated, but I really have no idea why those dreams of your death kept coming to me over and over again. They wouldn't go away and I had to wonder if there was anything I could do to stop it from happening. So, Clark and I decided to bring you into the fold, set you up at Watchtower, so you could be safe."
She squeezed his hand. "I knew you still cared and I'll never forget that moment when you and Clark asked for my help, but I guess I put too much hope into it. I knew we still cared for each other, but I resigned myself to us being friends and it worked for a little while. Then you moved on to someone else and I decided that I wasn't going to stand in the way of your happiness," she admitted then closed her eyes as the pain of these next words tore at her heart. "I know you love her, Oliver. I guess you're right, none of this matters anymore." A stray tear slid down her cheek.
As he watched her struggle with her feelings, Oliver suddenly realized something. Tess had changed and it wasn't only her help at Watchtower, but it was her desire to look beyond her own needs to see what others needed as well. Was that pride he was feeling or was it something else?
She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Oliver was also struggling. "Why, Tess? Why are you bringing all of this up now?"
"I don't know, but … after last night, after what happened to me, I was wondering …?" She hesitated as she watched him closely.
He smiled as he finally accepted the truth. "What, what were you wondering?"
Oliver's smiles were entirely too irresistible to her. "Nothing, forget it."
"Oh, no, I'm not letting you off that easy. You started this, now finish it," he stated and smiled again.
Tess laid it all out then. "How do you really feel about me … about us?" The hope in her eyes was blinding.
There it was. He'd denied his feelings for her for so long, but he just couldn't do it not anymore, and certainly not after last night. His eyes wandered over her face, he touched her cheek, and then he leaned down just a little and kissed her ever so sweetly ... a kiss of promise and hope. He rested his forehead against hers after a moment.
"Oliver … I …?"
"No more talking, Tess, you're tired. Now, will you get some rest?"
She smiled. "Alright, I'll rest for a while, but only if you promise to come back later?"
"I promise," he replied and kissed her again but then he couldn't seem to stop.
~o~o~
Lois slowly opened the door to Tess's room and witnessed the kiss. She immediately pulled the door closed, turned around and directed her fiancé down the hall. She really didn't want to make a scene.
"What's going on? Was Tess asleep?" Clark asked confused as he looked back over his shoulder toward Tess's room.
"Well, I don't know, I couldn't see her face because well …" She hesitated.
"Well, what?"
She sighed. "Tess and Oliver … they were … umm … kissing."
"Really?" He asked as he glanced at the door again, not that surprised.
Lois watched his reaction to the news and he didn't seem upset about it. "You're not surprised?" Lois asked then she began to pace. "I suspected she still had feelings for him, but I thought it was one-sided."
Clark sighed. "Oliver has been … what's the word … conflicted?"
"I see, well, that makes everything just peachy," Lois mumbled.
Clark went over to her hoping to calm her down. He touched her arm. "Lois, did Chloe tell you that their marriage was invalid?" At her shocked expression, he continued. "Chloe told me so herself. They won't even discuss it for fear one of them wouldn't want to get married again."
"Chloe never said a word to me about it, but maybe they just need some time, and Oliver straying isn't helping the situation."
"You can't dictate what your heart feels. I think they still love each other."
Lois frowned and began to pace again not liking this at all.
Oliver appeared in the hall just then. "Hey, guys thanks for coming by, but Tess is asleep at the moment. You should come back in an hour or so." His words were met with silence.
"Why were you kissing Tess when Chloe isn't around?" Lois was getting upset.
"That's none of your business, Lois," Oliver answered.
"Oliver, you need to decide right now who you want. You can't keep bouncing between Tess and Chloe. It's not fair to them or to you," Clark stated hoping to get through to him.
Oliver sighed and thought about his words. He walked away and went over to the window. "You're right, I know that, but Tess is in my blood like a drug; I need her. I've tried to be friends, tried to keep my distance, but when I found her last night, something inside me just snapped. What I had feared the most had happened. For a few moments, she was dead and my heart cried out not for it to be true, and then I heard her pulse. I knew right then that I couldn't give her up again. I can't." He covered his eyes to hide his feelings.
Lois and Clark glanced at each other. Lois pointed her head several times toward Oliver silently saying for him to go to him.
Clark went over to him and touched his shoulder. "I know what you're feeling, Oliver. I almost lost Lois and I didn't think I could bear the pain if I lost her."
Oliver turned to his friend. "I knew you would understand, Clark. That's why when Tess is ready to leave the hospital she's coming home with me."
"You can't do that Oliver. You have to tell Chloe. You can't let her find out something like that on her own. Give her that much respect," Lois said.
"What kind of a person do you think I am? Of course, I'll talk to her."
"That's all we ask, Oliver," Clark said.
Oliver closed his eyes and sighed not looking forward to it.
~o~o~
Later that evening, Oliver arrived in Star City to talk to Chloe. She welcomed him as usual with open arms and he hugged her close. Chloe was a balm from the heartache that seemed to surround him when he wasn't with Tess, but she deserved so much more than that, so much more than he could give her.
"Welcome home, Ollie," Chloe said.
"Hi, Chloe," Oliver answered her. He sighed. "We need to talk."
Chloe's heart constricted. It was time for 'the talk', she realized. She had trained her heart to accept the inevitable, but now that it was time, she didn't think she could hold herself together.
Oliver saw her pain and it was if he could feel it too. "I'm so sorry, Chloe."
"So it's over." It wasn't a question.
He closed his eyes feeling it was better not to drag it out. "Yes."
Chloe left his side and went to sit down on the sofa afraid she might collapse from the pain at any moment.
"Are you alright?" Oliver asked as he came over to her and sat down beside her.
"I don't know. I don't feel anything. I'm numb."
He took her hand.
She immediately removed her hand from his. "You should go."
"But Chloe, I can't leave you like this."
"Go to her; it's where you want to be isn't it?" She looked at him and dared him to deny it.
"Yes, it is, but ..."
"But what ...?"
"Chloe, I know this hurts," he began.
"You have no idea how much. Please go," Chloe said as she covered her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, but please know, I never wanted to hurt you, Chloe."
She didn't respond, so he got up and went to the door, watched her for a moment and then he was gone.
TBC!
~o~o~
A/N: Tess and Oliver's history on the show is so complicated, but I hope those scenes played out alright. IMO, Chloe and Oliver had their time, but it couldn't last. Thanks for reading. Reviews are love. :D