I'd Come For You 24/24
banner by: alxnhnt22
Title: I'd Come For You
Chapter: 24/24
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 6,619
Prompt: This is dedicated to the amazing slytherinpunk who wanted to see a fic where Chloe met Oliver and Green Arrow before Lois and Clark did. Happy Birthday, Dawn! ♥
Previous Chapters: | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-Two | Twenty-Three |
Last chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who read this story and took the time to comment. ♥
There was so much blood.
Chloe pressed her hands to Oliver’s chest, desperate to do something to make the bleeding stop. His breathing was shallow and he was trying to talk, but she couldn’t understand him. She looked down and saw that her hands were soaked in his blood. But it wasn’t just her hands. His blood was on her arms and seeping into her clothes and staining the dirty floor until they were surrounded by crimson. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make it stop or keep it from spreading.
“Ollie, please stay with me,” Chloe begged. She concentrated as hard as she could to activate her power, but nothing happened. His skin was pale, his face sopping with sweat and she still couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. Tears streamed down her face and she clung to him, begging him not to die. “I love you so much, Ollie. Please.” She was crying harder now and her heart shattered when she realized he had stopped moving. “Ollie, look at me. Oliver!” Chloe screamed his name over and over again, but he remained still.
“Chloe! Chloe, wake up!”
Her eyes flew open and Chloe saw that she was in her bedroom, her cousin leaning over her. Chloe opened her mouth, but her throat felt raw like she’d been yelling for hours and it burned when she tried to speak. She swallowed hard, doing her best to moisten her dry throat as she told herself to relax. It had been a nightmare. But even as her breathing slowed to a normal rate, her mind rejected that rationalization and the night’s events came flooding back to her.
Lex had kidnapped her and he’d shot Oliver when he’d come to rescue her. She’d held him in her arms and begged him to stay with her as she’d tried to heal him. Had it worked? Why couldn’t she remember? Chloe’s eyes filled with tears, her chest tight as she met her cousin’s concerned gaze. “I need to find Ollie.” She didn’t know how she’d gotten away from the facility, but she needed to go back for him. She pushed the covers aside and attempted to get out of bed, but Lois held her in place.
“Chloe, calm down. Oliver is fine. You healed him,” Lois reminded her. She rubbed her cousin’s arms reassuringly as she tried to get her to relax and calm her own pounding heart at the same time. She’d nearly jumped out of her skin when she’d heard Chloe screaming in agony for Oliver. Lois had raced into the room and tried to wake Chloe up, but her mind had kept her trapped in the nightmare. Lois had been ready to scream for Clark and tell him to get Oliver when Chloe had finally heard her voice and woke up from it.
“Where is he?” Chloe asked, her voice laced with desperation. She wanted to believe that Lois was telling the truth and Oliver was fine, but she couldn’t get the image of him lying lifeless in a pool of blood out of her head.
“He was here with you all night,” Lois said. She kept her hands on Chloe, half-expecting her to try and run away. She’d been asleep for over twelve hours and Lois didn’t want her going anywhere until she made sure there were no lasting side effects from healing Oliver.
“What about Lex?” Chloe asked as her mind jumped back to being in the room with him. She remembered him leaving her alone with Oliver, but everything after that was hazy. Lex had seen Oliver’s face. He knew Oliver was the Green Arrow and by now he probably knew that Chloe’s power allowed her to heal. She recalled Lex smugly telling them that she had been the one to give away Oliver’s secret. Her stomach churned at the memory. She was never going to forgive herself for Oliver’s identity being compromised because of her.
Chloe did her best to force herself to calm down as she waited for Lois to answer her question. She knew that her cousin was not going to let go of her if it seemed like she was still panicking and she needed Lois to know that she was okay so she would let her go see Oliver.
“Oliver said he had a friend who owes him a favor,” Lois replied. She still wasn’t sure what exactly this friend had done to Lex, but Oliver seemed confident that Lex wouldn’t remember that he was Green Arrow or that Chloe had a meteor ability. “He said the friend would make sure Lex wouldn’t remember the details.”
Chloe nodded, relieved. If Oliver said it was taken care of, she believed him. But she had another question that she was afraid of the answer to. “Why did he leave?” she asked quietly, her heart clenching in her chest. Lois had said he’d been there with her all night but he obviously hadn’t waited for her to wake up. Her mind was already trying to answer the question before Lois had a chance to.
Maybe she’d wasted too much time and it had taken her too long to tell him how she felt and he’d only saved her because that was the kind of hero he was. Her chest tightened even more at the thought. But if that was the case, why would he stay with her all night? It wasn’t like he had to worry that she was going to be alone. Lois was there and Chloe wouldn’t be surprised if Clark was in the other room.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you need to stop,” Lois warned. She could practically see Chloe’s mind worrying and she held her arms tighter to give her more reassurance. “Victor needed him for something and if it wasn’t important, Oliver would not have left,” she said confidently. She’d heard him arguing with Victor for nearly ten minutes before he’d relented and finally agreed to return to the clock tower.
Chloe nodded. She could see that Lois was worried about her, and she reached out, wrapping her hand around her cousin’s. She’d been amazing throughout all of this and Chloe knew how lucky she was to have her by her side. “I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You should be,” Lois teased. She pulled Chloe into a hug. “I’m just glad you’re all right, cuz. I’m also glad that I was right all along about Oliver and your feelings for him.” She pulled back, giving her cousin a smug smile. “I’ll save the ‘I told you so’ for when you’re feeling one hundred percent again and then I plan on saying it a lot.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the smile that played on her face. “I look forward to hearing it, but for now, I have to go see Ollie.” She wasn’t going to feel better until she saw with her own eyes that he was all right.
“You’re not going anywhere until you take a shower, burn these clothes and eat something.” Lois held up her hand when Chloe opened her mouth to protest. “I’m trying to help you here, Chlo. Do you really want to go running to Oliver’s this way?” She gestured to the dried blood that was all over her clothes.
“I’ll agree to the shower and the change of clothes, but I’m not hungry,” Chloe said. The idea of food actually turned her stomach. She was too anxious to eat. But she knew Lois was right and she needed to clean herself up.
“All right,” Lois relented. She let go of Chloe and moved off the bed so her cousin could get up. “But I’m driving you there myself and that is nonnegotiable.” She wasn’t quite ready to let Chloe out of her sight.
“Deal,” Chloe agreed. She got to her feet, pleased when she didn’t feel weak. She gave Lois another hug and practically ran for the bathroom. She knew the faster that she pulled herself together and showed Lois that she wasn’t going to relapse into a coma or anything, the faster she could get to Oliver.
***
“You’re sure about this?” Oliver asked. He stood beside his desk, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Victor sorting through data files on his laptop. He knew that he was grilling Victor more than usual, but he needed him to be certain. Oliver wasn’t taking any more chances.
“Positive,” Victor replied confidently. He understood why Oliver was being thorough and he wouldn’t have called him and practically begged him to come to the penthouse if he’d had any doubts about the data. But he wanted Oliver to see for himself. It was the only way he was going to relax. Victor hit another button on the keyboard and the data populated on the large monitor. “All the files have been wiped clean. Chloe’s name won’t be in any of Lex’s records.”
“Good,” Oliver said. “Thank you,” he added, knowing that he hadn’t been in the most pleasant of moods when Victor had called him. He’d lain awake all night just watching Chloe and making sure that she was still breathing. Lois had popped her head into the room a few times and they’d exchanged nervous looks. She’d overheard his phone call with Victor and promised to call him if anything happened or if Chloe needed him. He’d still been hesitant to leave even though he knew Lois would take care of Chloe.
He wanted to be there for her and Oliver knew he wasn’t going to be able to focus on anything until he knew for sure that Chloe was all right. He glanced at the clock in the corner of the screen. This was taking longer than he’d expected it to and he didn’t want to waste another minute. “Do you need me for anything else?” Oliver asked impatiently.
Victor shook his head, rising to his feet as he unhooked himself from the computer. “Everything else is taken care of. Bart’s been watching Lex all morning and it seems like Martian did his job. Do you…” His voice trailed off when they were both distracted by the sound of the elevator.
The doors opened and Chloe stepped out, her eyes wide as she glanced around the room. It had taken her less than an hour to get ready and Lois had driven her straight to the clock tower without any complaints, but Chloe still felt like a small eternity had gone by. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw him standing by the desk with Victor. “Ollie?”
“Chloe.” Relief washed over Oliver as he crossed the room, immediately sweeping her into his arms and holding her tight against him. His tension melted away at the feel of her in his arms and he had no intention of letting her go. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Chloe assured him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held onto him as she rested her head against his chest. She finally allowed herself to relax, knowing she was completely safe in his arms and he was in one piece. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment.
“I’ll just be going,” Victor said. He wasn’t surprised when neither of them seemed to notice or acknowledge him. He was just glad to see they were both all right and maybe now they would finally admit what they meant to one another so he didn’t have to watch Oliver have another meltdown. Stubborn people, he thought as he watched the doors slide closed.
Chloe wasn’t sure how long they stood there, wrapped up in each other before she pulled back just enough to be able to look up and see his face. “Are you okay?” Her hand went to his chest; lightly brushing against the spot the bullet had hit him.
“I’m fine, thanks to you,” Oliver replied. He kept one arm around her waist while the other moved to her face, brushing her hair back before he let it rest on her cheek. “You saved my life, Chloe,” he said. Oliver didn’t know how to thank her for that.
“You saved mine too. More than once,” Chloe added as she placed her hand over his, holding it tighter against her face. “Ollie, I’m so sorry I pushed you away.” Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she thought of how broken she had been without him. She never wanted to feel that way again. “I never wanted you to leave.”
“I know, Chloe,” Oliver replied. He’d been angry that she didn’t trust what they had and he’d let his pride get in the way of his desire to fight for her. But he’d known all along that she hadn’t wanted him to leave, despite what she’d told him. He felt guilty for doing it anyway. “I’m sorry I left.”
Chloe shook her head. She didn’t want him to feel bad for her mistakes. She didn’t blame him for leaving after she had spent so much time pushing him away. “It’s okay. You came back and you saved me.” She smiled at him even as the tears started to fall from her eyes.
Oliver brushed them aside and leaned down, pressing soft kisses on each of her cheeks where the tears had fallen. “I will always come back for you. I love you, Chloe,” he told her.
Her smile grew impossibly wide. Chloe remembered telling him that she loved him when he’d been shot and she wasn’t sure whether or not he’d heard her. This time, she’d make sure he did. “I love you too, Ollie, so much.”
He grinned, closing the distance between them and capturing her mouth with his. It felt like he had gone forever without kissing her. His tongue slipped past her lips, deepening the kiss as she moaned softly. Oliver gripped her hips, lifting her off her feet and carrying her toward the couch. He sat down with her in his lap and kept kissing her until they were both gasping for air.
Chloe’s lungs were on fire by the time the kiss broke, but she didn’t care. She had missed him so much. She ran her fingers through his hair, still smiling as his lips trailed lazily over her neck. Chloe slid her hand across his chest, stopping when the events of the previous night flashed into her mind. She unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, pushing the material to the side so she could examine his skin. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Oliver smirked, his skin warming under her gentle touch. “If you wanted me to take my shirt off, all you had to do was ask, although it would only be fair if you returned the favor,” he teased as he kissed her collarbone.
Chloe giggled, but she wasn’t going to be deterred from her mission. She wanted to see for herself that he was okay. She ran her hands over him, noting there wasn’t even a scar. She pressed her lips to his heartbeat before straightening up on his lap. As much as she wanted to continue on this path, she knew they needed to talk. “How did you get away from Lex?”
His expression darkened as he raised his head from her neck to meet her eyes. “After you healed me, I called Clark and had him take you home so I could find Lex. I wanted to kill him for what he did to you, what he was planning to do to you.” Oliver’s arms tightened around her waist as fresh rage coursed through his body. “But I know that would make me no better than the son-of-a-bitch.”
“Ollie.” Chloe’s fingers tangled in his hair and she kissed his jaw, trying to ease his tension. “You’re an amazing man. Don’t ever think otherwise just because you might have considered something dark,” she said. The thought of killing Lex had crossed her mind too when he had shot Oliver. She swallowed hard, not wanting to think about what would have happened if she hadn’t been able to save him.
Oliver kissed her softly, resting his forehead against hers as he held her. “I knocked him out. Broke his nose first,” he added with a proud smile. “I got him out before we blew up the building.”
Chloe nodded, but that still didn’t explain why he wasn’t concerned about Lex knowing his secret. “Lois said something about a friend who helped you,” she said.
“John Jones. He’s a police detective but he also has something in common with Clark. He’s from another planet,” Oliver explained. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that he’d met two people from other planets in less than a year. His life really was surreal sometimes.
“He has this unique ability to get inside people’s heads and alter certain memories,” Oliver continued. “He owed me a favor so I asked him to make Lex forget Green Arrow’s identity. I also made sure he forgot that he ever suspected you had a meteor power or what it was.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as she tried to take in everything he was saying. Growing up with Clark had taught her to expect the unexpected, but that kind of power was hard to grasp. Then again, she had the power to heal people that she loved and she was just a girl from Kansas. “Wow,” she said quietly.
Oliver nodded. “John only took those things out so Lex is still going to be the same bastard he’s always been and he’ll know Green Arrow attacked him. He just won’t remember why although it probably won’t be that hard for him to piece together considering the 33.1 facility we were in.” He kissed the tip of her nose, trying to keep his mind from going back and playing the “what if” game. Chloe was safe in his arms now and he needed to focus on that. “I had Victor make sure everything is out of his database and then he corrupted it.”
“But all those labs are still out there.” Chloe understood that the threat against the rest of the world was not going to just go away because the team had found a way to keep her safe from Lex.
“They are and we’re going to take each and every one of them down,” Oliver said confidently. He hated that after everything they’d found, there still wasn’t enough evidence to put Lex away for his crimes. But Oliver wasn’t going to stop until he’d done just that.
“I know you will,” Chloe said. She also knew that meant he’d be leaving again. She tried to keep her expression neutral even as her heart twisted at the thought.
Oliver leaned back against the couch, hugging her tightly to his chest. He’d seen the change in her eyes and he knew they were going to have to address the elephant in the room. “We’re in the same situation as before, Sidekick, minus the part where you’re Lex’s target.” He wasn’t sure how much time he was going to be away from Metropolis or how soon he’d have to leave, but Oliver knew there were years of work to be done. Lex had labs all over the world and he wasn’t going to stop opening new ones.
Chloe’s chest tightened when she heard the hesitation in his voice. Even though she was afraid of the answer, she didn’t want him to hold anything back from her. “What are you thinking?” she asked quietly.
“I’m going to have to leave again and I can’t make any promises of when I’ll be back,” Oliver said matter-of-factly. He shifted her away from his chest so he could look into her eyes. He wanted her to lay all her cards out on the table and tell him the truth this time. “I need to know what you want, Chloe.”
“You,” Chloe replied. She cupped his face in her hands, her eyes locking with his. “I love you, Oliver. I know I pushed you away and told you that we couldn’t be together but it was because I was afraid I would be holding you back. I was afraid you would put your feelings for me about the rest of the world and I didn’t want to be the reason you got hurt…or worse.” She swallowed hard, knowing the danger was always going to be out there.
“I get that, Chloe, I do. But if you’re constantly going to be questioning your faith in me, in us, how is this going to work?” Oliver felt like a jackass having this discussion after everything that had happened the night before, but he knew they couldn’t just sweep it under the rug. He loved her, but he didn’t have it in him to go through the same cycle again. He needed to know that she meant what she was saying.
Chloe bit her lip when she realized what she had done. She had managed to shake his faith in her. It hurt, but she knew it was her own fault and the only way she was going to fix it was by showing him that he could count on her. “I have faith in you, Oliver, and I trust our relationship. It’s not going to be easy and I’m going to miss you every second you’re gone but I can do this and I’ll prove it to you. Please give us another chance,” she pleaded.
Oliver brushed his hand over her cheek, caressing the skin just beneath her eye. “I trust you too, Chloe but I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want you to be here worrying about me all the time.” He knew his job was dangerous and there was no telling how certain missions would go. He also knew that she was going to worry no matter what, just like he would worry about her. But there had to be a balance or things would never work out between them.
“I know,” Chloe said. She could see that he wasn’t completely convinced and she knew that it would take time for her to get him there. But she was determined to make him see that she wasn’t going anywhere and she wasn’t going to push him away again no matter what happened. “I still want to help any way that I can.”
Oliver nodded. He knew she was trying and that was going to have to be enough for now. He had no intention of letting her go, but he also knew that being apart was not going to be easy on either one of them. But this was the life they had chosen and they needed to make the best of it. For now, they were together and safe and he wanted to enjoy the moment. “We’d never turn down your help, Chloe. You’ll always have a place on the team.”
He let his hands fall to her thighs and slowly pushed her skirt up as he met her gaze once again. “I see a lot of long distance phone bills in our future. You can tell me what you’re wearing. Or not wearing.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively.
Chloe laughed, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking him back against the couch. She was grateful he was willing to give her another chance and she was going to prove to him that she wouldn’t let him down again. But first, she wanted to show him just how much she had missed him. She shifted on his lap, straddling his waist. “Maybe we can skip to the not wearing part…” She let her voice trail off as she started unbuttoning the rest of his shirt.
Oliver grinned as he squeezed her hips before letting his hands slip underneath the hem of her shirt to caress her bare skin. “I like where this is going, Sidekick.”
***
Chloe stood near the back of the hotel ballroom, proud smile on her face as she listened to Mrs. Kent - scratch that - Senator Kent thanking her campaign donors as well as all the people who had voted for her. She had won the election by a landslide and the reception was her way of giving something back to all the people who had supported her along the way. Chloe was happy for her and she knew she was going to do an amazing job in Washington even though it was going to be hard for her to leave the farm and Clark behind.
Martha finished her speech and the crowd broke out into thunderous applause. Clark stepped forward from the side of the stage and hugged his mother, whispering something in her ear that made her smile. Chloe watched as Oliver approached them and Martha gave him a hug before the three of them moved off the stage. She couldn’t help the way her heartbeat sped up as her eyes took him in. The man looked good in a suit.
“Close your mouth, cuz, you’re already sleeping with him and his ego is big enough,” Lois teased as she handed Chloe a glass of champagne.
Chloe rolled her eyes affectionately. “I’m aware on both counts, thank you.” She clinked her glass against her cousin’s and took a sip. “This is a nice turnout. Mrs. Kent seems happy,” she said.
Lois nodded as she sipped her champagne. “I think she’s been going back and forth between being excited and being sad about leaving Clark.” She lowered her voice. “He reminded her that he can be in Washington in a matter of seconds, but you know how it is. I guess we all will soon.” Her smile slipped a little as her gaze shifted to Clark and Oliver who were still standing in the front of the room with Martha. “Have you told him yet?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Chloe replied. Her chest tightened with nerves and she took another long drink. “He’s been busy with the guests and then it was time for Martha’s speech and now here we are.” She knew Lois thought she was stalling and maybe she was, but the day had been busy and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Oliver alone. It wasn’t really the kind of thing she could just spring on him when there were other people around.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Lois asked. She turned back to her cousin, examining her face closely. She knew Chloe had put a lot of thought into her decision and even though Lois wasn’t happy with it, she understood it and she supported her. But she knew Chloe needed to be sure before she said anything to Oliver.
“No,” Chloe replied firmly. She met her cousin’s gaze head on, wanting her to see that she was serious about this. Chloe didn’t have any doubts that it was the right thing for her to do and more importantly, it was what she wanted to do. But she was a little nervous about telling Oliver.
Before she could explain herself further to Lois, Chloe spotted Bart and Victor making their way toward them. Bart was holding a plate piled with food and Victor looked like he needed more champagne as he looked warily at Bart’s plate. She offered them a warm smile. “Are you guys enjoying the party?” she asked.
Bart nodded as he popped a large shrimp into his mouth. “It’s awesome, ‘licious, especially since Fish Stick isn’t here to monitor my seafood intake.” He grinned and reached for another piece of shrimp. “You look gorgeous as always. You too,” he added as his eyes roamed over Lois.
“Thank you, now put your eyes back in your head,” Lois teased. She reached over and took a cheese cube from his plate. “Where is AC?” she asked. Mrs. K had invited the whole team to the party, including Oliver’s detective friend who had tampered with Lex’s memory. He’d declined due to work but she’d assumed the rest of the guys would be there.
“He drew the short straw and had to handle the evening patrol,” Victor replied. Oliver had wanted to make sure that Clark could enjoy his mother’s party without having to worry about crime on the streets so he’d asked the guys to elect someone to patrol for the night. “I talked to him awhile ago and he said everything has been quiet which seems to be status quo lately.”
“That’s a good thing,” Chloe stressed. It had been just over two weeks since Lex had kidnapped her and things had been fairly quiet in Metropolis ever since. She’d seen Lex a few times around the city since that night and he hadn’t acknowledged her aside from a sneering remark about how she wasn’t missed at the Planet when she and Lois had been leaving the café with their midday coffee one afternoon. Lois had quipped that the bruises around his nose looked painful and he had stormed off.
Victor nodded his agreement. “We do need to leave though and finish up a few things before the morning.” He glanced at Bart, making a face when he noticed his plate was already empty. “The human garbage disposal here is going to run ahead and scout things out for the night and the rest of us will fly there in the morning. Lois, it was nice to meet you. Chloe, I’m sure we’ll see you soon,” he said.
Chloe smiled, handing her glass to Lois so she could hug Victor. The team was leaving for Switzerland to look into a cluster of facilities Victor had found on Lex’s database. The files showed that there were prisoners in them, some who had been there for years and the team needed to get to them right away. They’d been planning the mission for the past week and Oliver had warned her that it was going to be a complicated one. “You will,” she confirmed. “Thank you for your help,” she added quietly.
“It was my pleasure,” Victor replied sincerely. He motioned for Bart to hurry up and headed for the door.
“He’s worse than Bossman when it comes to taking the fun out of everything,” Bart grumbled. He set his empty plate down on a table and held out his arms to Chloe and Lois. “Group hug?” he asked hopefully.
The two women exchanged an amused glance and Lois set both glasses on the table. “All right, Shorty, but keep your hands in respectable places. Clark and Oliver can see you,” she reminded him as she wrapped her arms around him and Chloe.
“I’m faster than both of them,” Bart replied. He hugged them both, winked and disappeared in a flash.
Lois shook her head and grabbed her champagne glass. She started to say something and then changed her mind when she saw Oliver making his way toward them. “It looks like you’re up, cuz.” She leaned over and kissed Chloe’s cheek. “If this is what you really want, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” she told her. She straightened up and smiled at Oliver as she slipped by him, heading toward Clark.
Oliver watched her go before turning to Chloe, eyebrow raised. “Should I be offended or grateful that she ran off and left me alone with you?” His eyes roamed over her dress as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’m going with the latter,” he told her before she had a chance to answer. Leaning down, he brushed his lips lightly over hers, mindful that they were in a room full of nosy people. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.
Chloe smiled, her hand going to his cheek as familiar warmth spread through her chest. “You clean up pretty well yourself, Mr. Queen.” She placed another light kiss on his lips. “Thank you for doing this. Mrs. Kent looks ecstatic,” she said.
“I think she’s going to do great things in Washington,” Oliver replied. He knew he would have supported her campaign even if he didn’t have personal reasons for getting involved. He was just happy the voters had made the right choice. “Did Vic and Bart leave?” he asked. He’d seen them talking to Chloe and Lois and wanted to check and make sure everything was on schedule, but he’d gotten held up by one of his board members.
“Yes, Bart was already fueling up for the trip,” Chloe said. Her heart was starting to beat fast again and she knew she couldn’t put off what she had to say any longer. “Do you mind if we step outside for a minute?” she asked, gesturing toward the terrace doors.
“Sure,” Oliver said. He tried to keep the uncertainty off his face as he took her hand and led her out the doors. The night air was warm for this time of year and there were already several people on the terrace. He kept walking, pulling her down the path that led through the gardens to a small fountain on the edge of the property to give them some privacy. “What’s on your mind, Sidekick?” he asked.
He’d known something was going on because she’d been quieter than usual the past two days. Oliver assumed it had something to do with the mission since it would be the first time they would be separated since they’d agreed to give their relationship a real chance. He couldn’t help being apprehensive since he knew the mission was bound to keep him away for awhile and as much as Chloe insisted that she could handle it, he was still skeptical, especially given the way she’d been acting. Oliver hated the idea of leaving her, but he knew the people trapped in those labs needed his help.
Chloe took his hand in hers and smiled at him. She could see the anxiety that he was trying to hide and for some reason it calmed her fears. She knew Lois was right and there was nothing to be afraid of. Oliver had done nothing but make it clear to her how much he loved her and she knew what she had to say was not going to change that. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.
“Relax, Ollie, I’m not about to freak out on you or anything. But there is something I need to tell you before you leave in the morning,” she said.
“Okay,” Oliver said. He was more confused than ever as he studied her face, trying to figure out what was going on. She didn’t seem upset and he wondered if he’d been wrong and she was handling him leaving better than he’d thought she was.
“I need you to hear me out before you say anything,” Chloe said. Her heart was pounding so loud that it echoed in her ears, but she pressed on, knowing she needed to get this out. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the team and how much I want to help. We both know there’s only so much I can do from Metropolis while you guys are on the other side of the world.”
“That doesn’t make you any less valuable,” Oliver pointed out. “Chloe…”
She cut him off, placing her finger over her lips. “What did I tell you about waiting until I was done?” she teased. Chloe smiled at him, briefly replacing her finger with her lips and then pulling back. “I’m not looking for reassurance, Ollie. I know how important the research part is and I know that I’m freeing up Victor’s time by helping out. But I want to do more.” She swallowed hard, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. “I want to be a part of the team full time.”
Oliver blinked, confusion crossing his face. “What do you mean?” he asked carefully, not wanting to jump to any conclusions.
Chloe stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his chest as she met his gaze. “The work that you and the rest of the team do is important and I want to be a bigger part of it. Ollie, I want to go with you when you leave for Switzerland in the morning and when that mission is over, I want to go to the next location too. I want to be Watchtower every time you guys need me, not just when it’s somewhere close to Metropolis. I can also help if someone gets hurt.” She paused, giving him a moment to absorb what she was saying.
He watched her, quietly considering what she was offering him. Logically, Oliver knew it would be good for the team to have her onboard full time. Chloe was great with computers and with research and Oliver preferred having Victor onsite with the team for missions rather than monitoring them through the satellite feed. He also couldn’t deny that Chloe’s healing power would come in handy even if he wasn’t crazy about the idea of her using it when they knew so little about it.
Selfishly, he wanted her with him all the time. Oliver had repeatedly stressed to Chloe that they were going to have to be apart for long periods because he wanted to make sure that she wasn’t going to run away from him again. But he wasn’t looking forward to being separated from her and the idea of her always being by his side made him happy. But Oliver didn’t want to put his happiness above hers.
“What about your life here?” he asked. Aside from Chloe, the only people Oliver had real ties to were the rest of the team so he never worried about being away from home for weeks or even months at a time. But he knew things were different for Chloe. “What about Lois? What about being a reporter?” He knew Chloe wouldn’t go back to the Planet as long as Lex was in charge, but there were other papers and Lex wouldn’t be editor forever if Oliver had anything to say about it.
“Lois understands and it’s not like we’ll never see each other again.” Chloe could see that he was skeptical and she knew him well enough to know why. “Ollie, do you remember the day we met and I told you why I wanted to be a reporter? It wasn’t for the glory of seeing my name on the front page; it was because I wanted to uncover the truth and I wanted to help people. That’s what I’d be doing as Watchtower,” she said.
Oliver nodded. “I know that, Chloe, but…” He paused, not sure how to say what he wanted to say without sounding completely selfish.
“You’re worried the only reason I’m doing this is to be with you,” Chloe surmised. She raised an eyebrow when he simply shrugged. “Oliver, I love you, but this isn’t about us. Having you around will just be an added bonus,” she teased.
“Good to know,” Oliver replied. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. He could see that she’d already made up her mind and he knew that meant she had considered every angle and option and decided this was what she really wanted. He wasn’t going to question that because he wanted it too. “I love you and if you’re sure this is what you want…wheels up at seven a.m.”
Chloe grinned. “I’ll be there.” She locked her arms around his neck, her fingertips teasing the ends of his hair as he closed the distance between them, covering her mouth with his.
The End.