Fic: A Walk on the Wild Side (Chlollie. Epilogue)
Awesome Banner by: Energis121bgd
Author: poetgirl925
Title: A Walk on the Wild Side
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Chloe makes some impromptu purchases one night after running into Jimmy and his new girlfriend. When a very surprised Oliver finds them, a misunderstanding sends them down a new path in their relationship. But as Chloe's feelings deepen and Oliver struggles with emotional intimacy, she wonders how much of Oliver's public playboy lifestyle she can really handle.
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Warnings: Spoilers at least through Season 7 'Siren' but I take some liberties with canon. Assume late Season 7 - early Season 8.
Disclaimer: Don't own, just playing :)
Previous Chapters: Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII (1) Part VII (2) Part VIII (1) Part VIII (2) Part IX Part X
A/N - This part is safe for all readers. And the update has been at FF for a couple of days - I just could not get LJ to post. It's probably my Internet connection. So, it's possible that when updates are ready, they may be posted at FF first if LJ is giving me problems.
Epilogue
Oliver sat on the sofa, maintaining a relaxed posture as he met the General’s stare. Don’t let him see you sweat, he
reminded himself. It was really no different from a business meeting with heads of corporations; the stakes, however, were a hell of a lot higher. He and Chloe were back on track with their relationship and he’d be damned if he was going to let anything get in the way of that. Briefly he wondered where Lois was. She had greeted him at the door of the General’s hotel suite and promptly disappeared with her sister Lucy.
General Lane finally broke the silence. “I’ll be straight with you, Mr. Queen. I don’t approve of your relationship with my niece.”
Well, that was blunt. But Oliver could handle blunt words better than silence. “With all due respect, General Lane, you don’t know anything about my relationship with Chloe other than what the papers have printed. And I can assure you that the only reputable account was written up by your daughter.”
The General tapped a thick, manila folder on his desk. “Do you know what I have in this folder?”
Oliver cleared his throat. “No, sir.”
“I asked one of my aides to get me everything they could find on you, and this is what he came up with in just 24 hours. It’s quite a file.” He opened it and pulled out a photo. “Tell me, Mr. Queen. If you had a daughter, would you approve of her starting a relationship with someone who was photographed doing this in public?”
Well, hell. Oliver had seen the photos before; they had run the gauntlet of international news outlets for months after his return from the island. This particular photo showed him, clearly inebriated, leaning against the side of a building in an alley behind one of Star City’s elite clubs. The woman kneeling before him had been one of his many admirers, and when she suggested they step outside, he went along with it. Neither of them had noticed the photographer hiding in the shadows, and he’d gotten some very creative angles of their activities.
“This folder is full of similar photos and reports, Mr. Queen.”
“If you’re asking me if I’m proud of my behavior in the past then the answer is no. I was a spoiled rich kid who had a chip on his shoulder and more money than common sense before I ended up stranded on an island for two years. And even after I returned, I screwed up. I tried to drink away my demons, and I hurt people close to me. But that’s not me anymore. And even if you don’t believe me, you should know better than to think Chloe would involve herself with someone like that. She’s the smartest person I know, and I have no doubt that she would kick my ass to the curb
if I ever did anything that stupid again.”
General Lane maintained a stony silence as he listened to Oliver. And then they just stared at each other. Oliver kept his gaze steady and resisted the urge to shift in his chair. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room. Oliver began to count the seconds, then the minutes; when he realized that his finger was tapping in time to the ticking clock, he broke.
**
Chloe sipped her coffee as she stared into the pet shop window. It was a week before Christmas, and all the pet shops had cute little baby animals on display. And though the puppies were adorable as they rolled around with each other and pressed their paws against the window, her focus was on the kittens. They were fluffy and sweet with their little pink noses and tiny paws. When one of them yawned and looked at her sleepily, she couldn’t help laughing.
ldquo;Cute, aren’t they?”
Chloe turned as a tall, striking redhead paused at the window beside her. “Adorable. I’ve been thinking of getting a kitten lately, so I can’t seem to stop myself from looking in all the pet store windows.”
The redhead smiled at Chloe. “You know, you look familiar. Have we met before?”
Chloe was certain she would remember the other woman if they had, which only left one explanation. She’d been recognized more and more lately both because of her high profile story on organized crime in Metropolis and, more recently, because of her relationship with Oliver. “No, I don’t think so. But I’m a reporter at The Daily Planet, so it’s possible you’ve seen my byline.”
“Of course - Chloe Sullivan. You broke the story about organized crime in the city. Your writing is very good.”
Chloe smiled back at the other woman. “Thanks. So are you looking for a Christmas pet?”
The woman shook her head. “No, just wishful thinking. I do love animals though. I studied marine biology at university.” She held out her hand. “It was nice to meet you, Miss Sullivan. Good luck on future stories.”
Chloe shook the woman’s hand and watched curiously as she walked away before turning back to the window. A few minutes later, she felt hands covering her eyes. “Three guesses.”
She laughed and turned into Oliver’s arms. “I’ll only ever need one where you’re concerned.” She smiled up at him, noting how handsome he looked in his black peacoat with the dark green scarf she’d given him for his birthday.
“Excellent answer.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Ready for lunch?”
“Definitely - I skipped breakfast.” She tapped the window gently as a goodbye to the kittens now watching her with interest. “So how did it go with Uncle Sam?”
“Great. You know, we talked and I think we reached an understanding.”
Chloe raised her brows. “Really?”
Oliver shoved his hands in his pockets. “Actually, I babbled - it wasn’t pretty. And since I’m almost certain Lois was eavesdropping, you probably already knew that.”
“She might have mentioned it,” Chloe laughed, patting his arm. “Don’t worry about the General. He’ll come around. And you still have dinner with my dad to look forward to this evening.” She linked her arm with his and pulled him away from the window as they headed toward their favorite Thai food restaurant at the end of the block.
**
Tess stood across the street and watched the petite blonde woman as she was joined by Oliver. When the headline “Billionaire Playboy in Love” hit newsstands around the city, she’d scoffed. After all, she knew Oliver well, and the idea that he was finally going to settle down with one of his bimbos was laughable.
But then she’d learned more about Chloe Sullivan, a small town girl from Smallville of all places. Lex had plenty to say about the pairing, but most of it reflected poorly on Oliver rather than Chloe. In fact, he seemed to have a grudging admiration for Chloe, which piqued her interest even more. Lex’s wife, Lana, had seemed happy for her friend, and she spoke fondly of the other woman.
So she did her own research, only to find that Chloe was as far removed from Oliver’s previous type as it was possible to be while still being female. She was the editor of her high school paper and had secured an internship at the Planet while still in high school. She’d been valedictorian of her class and was voted prom queen. She’d gone on to Metropolis University and again worked as an intern for the Planet before being hired on a permanent basis after she graduated.
Tess couldn’t help being curious about Chloe, and when she happened to see her standing in front of the pet shop window, she also couldn’t resist talking to her. Again, Chloe wasn’t anything she’d expected. She was twenty-two, but her petite build made her seem younger. She was pretty in a fresh faced way; her blonde curls were topped with a cream knit hat, and her plum colored coat brought out the green in eyes that held a sharp intelligence belying her softer appearance.
When Oliver joined Chloe in front of the window, she felt her chest tighten because he wasn’t the same Oliver she knew. This Oliver looked free and happy, and his expression clearly showed that he adored the woman standing before him. And she couldn’t quell the anger that flared briefly as she thought of everything she had given him only to have it shoved back in her face like so much rubbish he didn’t care to have in his life.
**
Oliver stood as Gabe Sullivan approached his table in the coffee shop. “Mr. Sullivan, thank you for meeting me early before we have dinner with Chloe later.”
“Please, call me Gabe.” He shook Oliver’s hand and then sat across from the younger man.
When the waitress approached, both men ordered black coffee. They kept the topics light as they waited for their order. They discussed sports and politics as well as Chloe’s recent success at the paper.
When their coffee arrived, Gabe cleared his throat. “I won’t lie - a part of me wishes that Chloe had chosen a more mundane profession because I worry where her curiosity will lead her.”
Oliver nodded. “I worry about that too, but being a reporter is such a big part of Chloe that I wouldn’t actually want to change that about her.”
Gabe laughed. “I know you’re right. My little girl was running around the neighborhood with a notebook and pen when she was just eight years old. She tried to solve any mystery she found from Mrs. Donaldson’s trampled flower garden to the cupcakes that went missing at the school bake sale. But when you tackle organized crime, there’s a lot more danger involved.”
Oliver considered how to ease his mind. He couldn’t explain that Chloe had backup from area vigilantes whenever she went out on a story, but he could tell him about another safety measure he and Chloe had recently agreed on. “It might help to know that I’ve hired a security firm to screen any potential threats to Chloe’s safety. Our relationship is getting a lot of media attention, and then when you add in the stories she’s been working on, it seemed like a good idea. A plainclothes agent also keeps an eye on her from a distance whenever she’s not with me.”
Gabe’s brows flew up. “And my daughter agreed to that?”
“Yes, sir - though we did argue about it at first,” Oliver admitted. “I think she finally agreed just to humor me, and she doesn’t want anyone to know about it. The only reason I’m telling you is so you’ll understand how serious I am about making sure your daughter stays safe.”
“Because you love her.”
“Yes. I plan to ask your daughter to marry me one day. Not now - I know it’s too soon. But I am one hundred percent committed to her. I know my past might make me a less than desirable candidate to join your family, but I’m a different man now and I feel lucky that Chloe sees that and loves me too. I wouldn’t do anything to put my relationship with her at risk.”
Gabe took a sip of his coffee. “The truth is I wasn’t thrilled when I heard that Chloe was involved with you. An hour on Google painted a picture I didn’t like, and Sam dug up quite a file on you.”
Oliver tried not to wince as he thought about Gabe viewing the General’s file.
“You and Sam actually have more in common than you realize,” Gabe said, leaning forward and folding his hands on the table.
“Really?” Oliver’s skepticism was clear.
Gabe nodded. “At one time, no one thought he was good enough for Lois’ mother. Ella was a loving and lighthearted woman, so they seemed like an unlikely match. But Ella told my wife that Sam was different with her, and eventually we could see that Ella brought out another side of him. Sam was only ever close with his wife and his sister, and when Ella died and Moira disappeared, it changed him. But I still see glimpses of that softer side around his girls and around Chloe. They’re the last pieces remaining of two women he loved very much, and that’s why he’s being so difficult about your relationship with Chloe.”
“With all due respect to the General’s softer side, I don’t see him warming up to me any time soon,” Oliver commented dryly.
Gabe grinned at that. “Well, you’re probably right about that. My point is that Chloe is a lot like Ella. She was always a bright and open little girl who loved with her whole heart. She did a better job of protecting her heart after her mother left, but she’s still that same loyal, loving person underneath the armor. And if she’s found something in you that she thinks is worth the risk of being hurt then I have to respect that because my daughter is a smart, capable young woman. I don’t believe you’d be able to fool her if you were really the man in the tabloid stories.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Oliver agreed. “Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself. I know she makes me want to be better in everything that I do because she has a faith in me that no one’s ever had before.”
“And that’s all I ever wanted for Chloe - someone who valued her. I can see that you do, and as long as that doesn’t change, I’d be happy to welcome you to the family someday - provided that someday is still a few years off?” Gabe raised a brow. “My daughter is still young, and she just graduated from university.”
“Right.” Oliver was fast reaching a point with Chloe where he could imagine marrying her and hopefully having kids someday, but logically he knew that was still a few years off. And despite how impatient he’d always been in the past, he’d begun to realize that the best things were things worth waiting for.
**
Oliver felt the heat of anger rolling through him as he stared down at the photo in his hand. “And you’re sure that Tess wasn’t actually following Chloe?”
“Yes, sir. I would have noticed if she had been following Miss Sullivan. It appears to have been a chance meeting.”
A chance meeting that Tess had taken advantage of. Oliver swallowed hard and forced himself to stay calm. If he blew into Tess’ office, photo in hand, she’d realize that Chloe had personal security, and that was not information he wanted either her or Lex to have. Because with that knowledge, they might gain the upper hand if they ever came after her. “I want two agents with Chloe from now on, and I want someone keeping tabs on Lex andTess. If they so much as sneeze in her direction, I want to know about it.”
“Understood, sir.” The security agent left Oliver’s office.
Oliver stood and looked out the window for a moment before pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Clark? We need to talk. It’s about Chloe.”
Oliver wasn’t surprised when Clark sped into the room a few seconds later. “What’s wrong?”
He handed over the photo. “This picture was taken yesterday. The woman with Chloe is Tess Mercer. She and I…” Oliver paused. “We used to be involved but it ended badly. Now she works for Lex and she’s here in Metropolis.”
Clark slammed his hand against Oliver’s desk. “This is exactly what I was worried about - that your relationship with Chloe would make her a target.”
Clark had reacted explosively upon finding out that the man Chloe had been seeing in secret was Oliver. It had taken the collective efforts of both Lois and Chloe to talk him out of going after Oliver and rearranging his limbs, a threat that had actually impressed Lois since she didn’t often see a side of Clark that didn’t fit his mild mannered image. In the end, Oliver and Clark had talked it out, though not without some harsh words being exchanged.
“You think I don’t worry about that too?” Oliver shot back. “I had a hell of a time convincing Chloe to put up with an undercover security agent tailing her - we had a huge argument about it. And now I have to tell her that one of my exes has taken an interest in her.”
Clark looked back at the photo clenched in his fist. “What does she want with Chloe? Is it just personal or is it somehow related to Lex?”
“The agent said it was a chance meeting and she wasn’t actually following Chloe. But to be safe, they’re on high alert now with regard to Lex and Tess. I’ve notified the team as a precaution, and I wanted you to know as well. But I don’t want to confront Tess because it may be nothing more than curiosity on her part.”
Clark sighed and removed his glasses to look at Oliver. “Look, I have nothing against you personally, Oliver. But if your relationship with Chloe jeopardizes her safety, you should consider letting her go.”
“Ironic coming from the super powered resident alien who drags Chloe into all kinds of dangerous hijinks,” Oliver replied with a grim smile. “Chloe is a grown woman and she makes her own decisions.”
Clark had the good grace to look slightly guilty. “I’m doing my best to keep her out of that part of my life now. She finds enough trouble on her own. And I didn’t come here to fight with you again. Chloe’s made it clear that she’ll start wearing jewelry made with little green rocks if I don’t stop lecturing her about your relationship.”
Oliver smiled at that. “Sounds like her.” He watched as Clark placed the photo back on his desk.
“If Tess is a new executive at Luthorcorp, I can probably arrange an interview with her,” Clark said. “It will give me a chance to see what she’s up to.”
“Tess plays her cards close to her chest. And if she’s working closely with Lex now, then she’s not the same woman I knew. Be careful.”
Clark nodded and zoomed away, leaving Oliver to brood on the best way to talk to Chloe about this new situation.
**
Chloe sighed with relief as she collapsed on Oliver’s sofa. “As much as I love my family, I’m glad we came back to Metropolis for the night. That was exhausting.” It was Christmas Eve, and they had just spent the better part of the evening at the farm where Martha had been in full homemaker mode. They’d had dinner, and Chloe was pleasantly surprised by how well her father and Oliver were getting along. It made up for the lack of enthusiasm from her uncle and Clark.
Oliver sat beside her and pulled her legs into his lap. After removing her shoes, he began massaging her feet, digging his thumbs into her soles to release the tension he found there. “And we still have tomorrow to look forward to. But I enjoy your father’s company, and Martha is being supportive.”
Chloe moaned, wiggling her toes. “God that feels good. You are a man of many talents.”
Oliver smiled at her. “Well these hands are yours whenever you want them.”
Chloe leaned back against the cushions and watched him for a moment. She’d never really imagined being this happy with someone before. Oliver Queen was in love with her - it still blew her mind sometimes. Who would have thought that out of all the women he’d dated, Oliver would fall in love with her?
She didn’t have any doubts about his feelings for her. They were evident in the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, the way he said her name - almost reverently, as if he couldn’t believe that he was lucky enough to have her. Of course, it wasn’t all roses all the time. They’d already argued about personal security, something that Chloe didn’t feel was necessary until Oliver had shown her a photo of the woman who had talked to her in front of the pet store.
And then he’d told her everything about Tess Mercer - his time on the island with her, the way he’d intentionally blown up their relationship after they were rescued, and the fact that she was now using her position at Luthorcorp to come after him in the business world. Chloe couldn’t deny she felt a little creeped out by the other woman’s interest, especially given her connection to Lex. She wasn’t stupid - she’d known full well that a relationship with Oliver came with certain risks. Oliver was doing his best to mitigate those risks, and she was doing her best not to fight him on it. Their relationship was still a work-in-progress, but she felt confident in their ability to navigate the uncharted territory together.
“So, I’m assuming the security company hasn’t found anything with regard to Tess and Lex since you haven’t brought it up in a few days,” Chloe finally said. “And by the way, these security agents following me must be really good because Lois and I spent the whole afternoon yesterday trying to figure out who they are to no avail.”
“Their job is not to be noticed until they’re needed,” Oliver pointed out. “If you could pick them out, so could someone else. And no - as far as they’ve been able to determine, Tess just happened to run into you and took the opportunity to talk to you when she realized who you are.”
Chloe made a face. “Still kind of creepy.”
“Yes, it is. I don’t like that she was that close to you. The Tess that I knew long ago wouldn’t be a threat to anyone, but now… I just don’t know. She’s different now.”
“Well, better that it was her personal interest rather than something Lex has up his sleeve involving me.” In the interest of full disclosure, Chloe had told Oliver everything she knew about her meteor ability. She hadn’t used it in almost a year, and Oliver was as adamant as Clark about her not using it again at all given the side effects. He had then asked Emil to do a full checkup on Chloe in order to study any effects the meteor rock might have on her long term health. Chloe didn’t argue because she had concerns of her own, especially given the state of her mother’s health. If Emil could alleviate some of her worries, it would be a big weight lifted.
“True.” Oliver leaned over and kissed her softly. “Now, no more talk about Tess and Lex. I have a surprise for you.” He stood and pulled Chloe up with him, leading her to his bedroom.
Chloe smirked. “A ‘surprise’ huh? The kind involving no clothes, I’m guessing.”
“You have a dirty mind, Sullivan,” he teased her. “That comes later. First…” he opened the door to his bedroom, and they were immediately greeted by a loud cry.
“Oh my gosh,” Chloe exclaimed, dropping to her knees to greet the tiny ball of fur coming her way, fluffy tail held high. “How did you know?” She picked up the kitten and snuggled it under her chin, delighting in the rumbling purr that immediately followed.
Oliver sat on the floor beside her, grinning at the way the kitten was rubbing her head on Chloe’s chin. “I saw the way you were looking at those kittens last week, so I asked Lois about it. She said you had been thinking about getting one. And then I met this little girl. Remember the sheikh I had dinner with last week?” When Chloe nodded, he continued. “After dinner, we went to his office to talk business and suddenly, I felt something climbing my pants leg. Zafarana had escaped from his daughter’s bedroom. She was one of five kittens his daughter’s cat had almost two months ago.”
“Her name is Zafarana?” Chloe held up the little kitten and took a good look at her. She was a beautiful tortoiseshell Persian with a little orange streak going down her nose and big, topaz eyes. When the kitten meowed, she held her close again.
Oliver nodded. “It’s Arabic for ‘saffron’ - the sheikh’s daughter called her that because of the orange streaks in her fur. But you can change it if you want to.”
Chloe kissed Zafarana’s nose. “No I like it - it suits her since she’s a Persian kitty from Persia.” She stood carefully and sat down in Oliver’s lap, leaning up to kiss him before settling against his chest. “Thank you. Now I just need to find an apartment that allows pets.”
“You know you have an open invitation to live with me, right?” Oliver would love nothing more than to have Chloe move in with him, but he wasn’t pushing it because he could see how excited she was to have an apartment all her own for the first time.
“I know. We’ll definitely revisit that discussion later. Meanwhile, I’ll be here so often you’ll probably get tired of me anyway.”
Oliver tightened his arms around her. “Impossible, but feel free to make as big a nuisance of yourself as you like. And I’m calling drawer and closet space at your new apartment.”
“You are, huh?” Chloe looked up at him with a smile. “So I should expect you to be invading my space when I’m not invading yours?”
“Well, you know - turnabout and all,” he replied in a teasing tone. “So, we have presents under the tree. Some are for you, some are for me, and some might be for Zafarana here.”
Chloe laughed. “You wrapped presents for my kitten?”
“Maybe - want to go look?”
Chloe allowed Oliver to help her up while keeping her new baby snuggled against her chest. “Lead the way.”
A/N: Finished! You can probably guess I have a sequel in mind for this story, but I have WIP (Letting Go, Shadows) to finish first - and more in the Baby Queen series. I'm also about 2/3 finished writing Into the Dark (see Master Fic List for summary), which I plan to start posting this summer. I have about 5-6 weeks off this summer - I'm planning a trip to Prague, but other than that I'll concentrate on writing. Some of it will be my original stories, but I'll be working on fan fics too. Oh, and I've also dipped my toe into the Arrow fandom simply because I love Felicity's character. My story Dating Philosophy 101 can be found at my FF page if you're interested. Not to worry though - no plans to jump the Chlollie ship. If you're reading, I'll try to keep writing :)