Fic: Letting Go (Chlollie)
Banner by: Energis121bgd
Author: Poetgirl925
Title: Letting Go
Rating: R, based on later chapters
Summary: When Chloe's life starts to unravel both personally and professionally, she decides some major changes and a fresh start may be the answer to her problems.
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Status: WIP, approximately 18-20 chapters at completion
Warnings: Spoilers through Siren, but goes AU from there.
Disclaimer: I own only my original characters appearing in the story.
View photos of the original characters in the story. View dresses worn to events in the story.
Chapters: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chloe was testing the strength of her bonds when the door opened. “Goon 1 - so nice to see you again. I’m guessing you’ve been busy getting busted by your boss for abducting me. I mean, Helen Jenkins is in enough trouble without adding kidnapping and assault to her charges, and my abduction in broad daylight must be making national headlines by now.” She made a tsking sound and shook her head. “I assume you’re the brawn rather than the brains on her little goon squad.”
Goon 1 stared at her, hands relaxed at his side, his serpent like eyes void of any emotion whatsoever. “Time to go. And Jenkins isn’t the boss.”
Chloe felt a chill course through her veins and her heart sank. She’d been hoping they’d just forget about her long enough for Ollie and the team to find her. “So you do speak English.”
He didn’t answer her as he pulled out a large switchblade which he used to cut the bindings tying her legs together. “Stand up.”
She pressed her lips together, determined not to make a sound as a slow burn replaced the numbness in her legs. She managed to get to her knees, but when she didn’t move fast enough, he jerked her up by the back of her shirt. She felt the fabric give a little in the back. “Easy there, Fezzik - that’s a vintage shirt.”
She’d been needling her large, mostly silent abductor ever since regaining consciousness in the small room where they’d been holding her for at least a few hours. She’d hoped he might give away some information about where she was and what they were planning to do with her, but he seemed immune to her verbal jabs and barbs. Her bag was with Samantha Sutton since she’d shoved it at the other woman just before she’d been grabbed. She knew Victor could easily track the GPS in her phone and if the team could find Samantha, she hoped they could use whatever information she gave them to find her. If she got out of this - when she got out of this - she’d be lucky if Oliver didn’t decide to implant the GPS chip under her skin.
Hands still tied before her, Chloe stumbled down the hallway. When her escort opened the door at the end, she wasn’t surprised to see Helen Jenkins. It was her companion that sent a jolt of fear through her body as she realized her chances of getting out of this alive were even lower than she’d anticipated.
**
Oliver paced, hands clenched as he waited for Victor to hack the cameras inside the warehouse. The entire team was assembled for this mission, and they’d welcomed Batman’s involvement given the high stakes.
After Victor traced Chloe’s phone to the small motel where Samantha Sutton was hiding, the reasons for Chloe’s abduction had become a lot clearer, and it had only taken a couple of hours to find the warehouse where they suspected she was being held. With dusk setting in, they’d staked out a neighboring building; while Oliver and Bruce were inside with Victor, Dinah, AC and Bart were patrolling the perimeter.
Oliver turned back to the window and looked at the warehouse. Chloe was in there - he could feel it, and to be so close and yet still unable to help her was killing him. “Cyborg, status.”
“Almost there, man.”
Bart’s voice came across the com link. “Bossman, we’ve got company.”
“Who?” Oliver asked.
“Watchtower’s friends from the paper. What do you want us to do?”
Lanie and Mike? What the hell were they doing there? “Bring them in.”
Within minutes, a very angry Lanie was escorted in by Dinah while a more subdued but watchful Mike was accompanied by Bart and AC. Since the mission was taking place on home turf, Oliver had insisted on full disguises for everyone. Bart was hooded, and red and black paint around his eyes distracted from his features. AC wore a hood and half mask, and Victor looked more Robocop than human at the moment.
Lanie froze when she saw Oliver. “What’s going on here? Are you looking for Chloe?”
Bruce moved to stand near Oliver, and Oliver saw the first hint of real fear on Lanie’s face. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here looking for Chloe Sullivan. Jenkins has old mob connections no one knew about, and my sources led us here - this warehouse is still in her father’s name. And if I don’t call my editor within the next five minutes, this place is going to be swarming with police.”
Oliver cursed. “And if that happens, they’ll kill her. The only advantage we have is the element of surprise.”
“If you’re here, you must know who’s in this with Jenkins. They were never planning to let Chloe go anyway. Please just let us get Chloe out. Then you can go after the others.”
Bruce stepped forward. “You’re going to get your friend killed if she’s not dead already.”
“She’s alive,” Victor said suddenly. “I’m in, and I have eyes on her. She’s with Jenkins and Whittaker now.”
Bruce made a move towards Lanie, and Mike lunged forward, taking AC by surprise. Bruce gassed him, and he slumped to the ground.
“Mike!” Lanie screamed and kicked back at Dinah as Bruce turned his attention in her direction once more.
“Enough!” Oliver looked at Dinah. “Let her go.”
Lanie rushed to Mike and checked his breathing. “What did you do?”
“It’s just a sleeping gas,” Oliver replied. “He’ll be fine. But Chloe won’t if you don’t start trusting me. I can get her out.”
“Or she’ll be collateral damage when you take down the bad guys,” she shot back bitterly. She wiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “You don’t care about her.”
He hesitated, and then he switched off his distorter, pushed his hood back and removed his dark glasses. “I care, Lanie.”
Lanie was stunned into silence as she and Oliver stared at each other. Slowly she stood, stepping carefully around Mike and moving to stand before Oliver. Then she threw her arms around him. “Oh thank God.” She pulled back and jerked her phone from her pocket, sending a quick message. “Go - I’ll stay here with Mike.”
Oliver slipped his glasses back on and walked over to join the team gathered around Victor as they decided on their infiltration points.
When they were ready to go in, Victor looped the feed. “They won’t see you coming now. As soon as you’re out, I’ll notify the task force. They can have first responders here within minutes.”
Oliver nodded and flipped up his hood. “Let’s go get our girl.”
**
Chloe was sitting again as she listened to Jenkins and Whittaker argue. Now that she saw them together, it made sense. The mayor and Jenkins had been close when she was on the city council, and clearly there was a history between them that no one knew about.
“It’s easy for you to say because my hands are the only ones dirty at this point,” Helen was saying. “That girl dying will be the final nail in my coffin, James.”
“Well, we can’t let her go. Clearly you see that,” Whittaker replied. “You created this mess by trying to take care of Sutton yourself instead of notifying me that there was a problem. And you’re only creating more trouble now, Helen - you’re going to bring down the whole organization that we’ve been trying to build in your father’s name.”
Her father? Chloe tried to remember information on Helen Jenkins’ family, but she couldn’t recall anything specific.
“I’m creating trouble? Your bumbling lackeys created this problem by grabbing her in the first place. Their orders were for Sutton, not the reporter. And worse, she’s Queen’s girlfriend. The whole fucking city has been in an uproar, and they have the fucking governor involved now. Where is this going to end?”
Whittaker nodded at Goon 1, who pulled his gun and pointed it at Jenkins. “With you, Helen.”
Chloe jumped when the shot was fired and stared in disbelief as Helen Jenkins crumpled to the floor, a red wave spreading across the starched white blouse she was wearing. Just then an explosion rocked the warehouse and all the windows exploded seemingly at once.
“What the hell was that?” Whittaker cried, motioning for his goon squad to go. Helen moaned from her position on the floor, but Whittaker barely glanced at her.
Dinah, Chloe thought. Knowing it was now or never, she jumped up and ran for the door. Her hands were still tied in front of her, but she managed to get out the door and down the hallway. And then she heard the unmistakable sound of Oliver’s distorted voice off to her left. She changed direction abruptly. Almost there, she thought, adrenaline giving her an extra burst of speed. But then she felt a blinding pain in the back of her skull, and the world went dark.
**
Oliver took out the last guard in his hallway, never slowing down on his way to the room where Chloe was being held. “Cyborg, talk to me, man.”
“I lost the feed for a second,” Victor said. “Watchtower escaped when she heard us coming - she’s moving down the hallway off to your right, but one of the guards is right on her six.”
Oliver ran, meeting Bruce at the end of the hallway. “Which way?”
“Left - Arrow, she’s down.” Victor’s voice was grim.
Fear lent an extra burst of speed as he raced toward the small figure lying on the floor. The guard reached for her, but Oliver got there first. He grabbed his throat and took him down, knocking him out with one blow before turning to Chloe. “Jesus.”
The entire back of her head seemed to be covered in blood. With shaking hands, Oliver felt for a pulse. It was there, but it was weak. “Cyborg, get the medics here ASAP. She’s losing a lot of blood - I don’t know if it’s a good idea to move her.”
“On it.”
Bruce kept watch until AC, Dinah and Bart joined them in the hallway.
Bart raced to Chloe’s side. “What happened?” He reached out a hand but then pulled back as if afraid to touch her.
“All guards are down,” Dinah reported. “Jenkins has a gunshot wound, so she’s not going anywhere. Whittaker is neatly packaged and ready for pickup. How is she?” she asked, casting a worried look at Chloe.
Bruce shook his head. “It doesn’t look good.” Suddenly, sirens could be heard in the distance. “Time to go.”
“Sleeping beauty is awake - I’m sending them out now,” Victor said. “First responders are almost there - ETA in three. You need to get to egress.”
“Arrow, we have to go,” Bruce said sharply. “Now.”
The team made their way to the back of the building, but Oliver hesitated. He touched Chloe’s hand and waited for any kind of sign that she was aware of his presence but there was none.
“Arrow, you gotta go. They’re pulling up,” Victor warned.
He stood. “Don’t take your eyes off of her until they find her.”
“I won’t.”
With one final look at Chloe’s still figure, Oliver followed Bruce out of the building.
**
By the time Oliver rushed through the emergency room doors, Chloe had been there for more than thirty minutes. The team had made it back to the penthouse quickly, but then Oliver had to wait to be notified of her admission through official channels. He’d also put in a call to Emil, who was on his way down to the hospital.
Lanie, Mike and Ashlyn were already in the waiting room. “How is she?”
“They won’t tell us anything,” Lanie said. “But maybe if you try…”
Oliver went up to the admissions desk. “Chloe Sullivan was brought in here less than an hour ago. I need to know where she is.”
The admissions nurse bit her lip. “Mr. Queen, unless you’re family or an emergency contact…”
“Who the hell is her emergency contact if it’s not me?”
“A Mr. Clark Kent of Kansas as well as a Lois Lane. They’ve both been notified.”
Oliver slammed his hand against the desk, frustrated. “And they’re not here, but I am.”
Ashlyn hurried over, obviously sensing that Oliver was about to lose it. “Ollie, calm down.” She turned to the admissions nurse. “Look, you must read the papers. Chloe is Oliver’s girlfriend - emergency contact or not, he deserves to know what’s happening.”
Being faced with two of the city’s elite citizens was obviously too much for the admissions nurse. “Just… wait over there, please. Let me see what I can find out.”
Oliver paced as they waited. Five minutes later, Emil stepped into the room.
“I don’t know much yet,” he began, “but according to the ER doctor who examined her, she may be in a coma. There was evidence of skull fracturing and hematoma - I don’t have to tell you how serious that is. They’re prepping her for a CT scan now. I’ll be able to tell you more after I see the results.”
A sick feeling of dread curled through Oliver’s stomach. “When can I see her?”
“It will be a while, Oliver. Let us do our jobs and I’ll keep you informed.” Emil hurried out, leaving a tense silence in his wake.
Oliver wiped a hand over his face, a mix of fear and leftover adrenaline making him feel like he couldn’t breathe for a moment. Finally, he said, “I need to make a call.”
He stepped out of the room and dialed Bruce’s number.
Bruce answered immediately. “How is she?”
“It’s bad,” he answered quietly. “I don’t know…” he paused, took a breath, and started again. “We’ll know more in the next couple of hours.”
“I’m sorry, Ollie,” Bruce said, his tone full of regret. “I’ll tell the others - they’ve all said they’re staying at the penthouse until they know what’s happening. Just keep us informed.”
“Yeah.” Oliver hung up and stared blindly at it for a moment. He’d sent his jet for Lois earlier in the day, but based on the flight plan, he knew she wouldn’t arrive for a couple more hours. According to Lois, the paper had booked a commercial flight for Clark and one of the staff photographers that had an earlier flight plan, but she’d been delayed because it fell to her to notify Chloe’s other family members.
Clark hadn’t arrived yet, so Oliver could only assume that he was unable to get out of flying commercial since he wasn’t travelling alone. It would be difficult for him to explain to both Lois and the Planet’s accounting department how he got to California if not on Oliver’s jet or the flight that had been booked for him.
“Oliver, are you okay?”
He turned to see Lanie standing behind him, twisting her hands nervously.
“I’m fine,” he said wearily. “I know you probably have questions…”
“No,” she interrupted him. “I mean I do, but that’s not important right now. I just wanted you to know that I would never say anything. And no matter what happens now, I know you did everything you could.”
“Thanks, Lanie.” Oliver followed her back into the waiting room, alternating between pacing with nervous energy and sitting, staring at the floor. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the blood soaking Chloe’s blonde hair. Despite Lanie’s words, he couldn’t help thinking that if he’d moved just a little bit faster, he could’ve reached Chloe before the guard got to her. And if she died, he’d never get her blood
off his hands.
**
The first thing Chloe was aware of was the pounding in her head. Squeezing her eyes closed a bit more tightly, she tried to make sense of the confusing jumble of memories. She had managed to free herself while the goon squad was distracted by Oliver's team, but after that everything was a blank. She finally opened her eyes. There was a dim light which illuminated an IV bag above her. She looked down and saw that she was in a hospital bed. The IV was in her left hand, and her right hand was confined somehow.
Mindful of the pain in her head, she turned carefully to her right and saw Oliver in a chair beside her bed, his notebook computer open and supported in his lap by a lap desk. His left hand was wrapped securely around her right one while he dozed with his head leaning back at an awkward angle. He looked tired and Chloe wondered how long she had been out. She tried to pull her hand away from his carefully, but the second she moved he was awake.
“Chloe?” Instantly alert, Oliver quickly closed his computer and set it aside before taking her hand again.
“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice raspy. She cleared it as she realized how thirsty she was. Before she could even voice her need, Oliver was offering her a cup of ice water with a flexible straw. Gratefully, she took several long sips. “Thanks. How long was I out?”
“You were brought in last night,” Oliver replied. “Before that, not too long. From the video Vic got, it looked like you were trying to break out while we were breaking in, and a guard clocked you from behind. Emil was a little worried about two blows to your head in the same day, and the ER doctor that first examined you thought…”
Chloe waited, but when he didn’t continue she prompted, “Thought what?”
Oliver’s hand tightened around hers. “He thought you might be in a coma… they thought blood might be pooling on your brain, and there was concern about a skull fracture. But the swelling was already going down by the time Emil got here. He ordered scans and you definitely have a concussion, but it’s not nearly as bad as the first doctor thought, thank God.”
“Oh,” Chloe said. She took a deep breath as she raised her left hand and probed carefully at the throbbing knot on the back of her head.
“Careful,” Oliver warned. “You have a few stitches back there. Not to worry though - the area they shaved can be covered by the rest of your hair.”
She smiled a little at that. “Good to know I’m not bald back there.” She wondered if her healing power was working to heal her more quickly. It might explain why the first doctor’s diagnosis had been grim. Or did it even work that way? She had no idea. “I’m sorry Ollie. I honestly wasn’t expecting trouble at that meeting.”
Oliver sighed. “I know. But Chloe, we need to talk about how to handle your on-the-job safety.”
Chloe grimaced. “Ollie, I feel like all the inhabitants of Oompa Loompa Land are merrily hammering away inside my skull. Could we maybe wait about the lecture I can see you itching to deliver? Next week works for me. Or never - never is good too.” She pouted a little as she looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Oliver tried to hold onto his serious expression, but it was clear that his mood had lightened a little. He finally smiled as he leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead before smoothing her hair back. His hand slid to the side of her face. “We are going to talk about this. For one thing, we need to go over safe locations in the city versus the not so safe. That alley was a terrible place to meet anyone. There’s even a video of sorts - I was going to give it to you next week anyway. It should help you familiarize yourself with all areas of the city.”
Despite her headache Chloe wanted to laugh. “You seriously made me a safety video? Is there a team building seminar too? Because I’d love to see AC and Bart doing trust exercises.”
“Hey, when it comes to your safety I’ll do whatever it takes.” He took her hand again, running his thumb lightly against her skin. “God Chloe, you have no idea how worried we all were - how terrified I was that they’d already killed you by the time I even knew you were gone. And if I had been too late, I don’t think I could have lived with that.”
Chloe swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat. “Ollie, I’m sorry that I worried you. And I swear that I will try to take all possible precautions in the future, but… we both know that with what I do, and what you do, there aren’t any guarantees. And if my nose for trouble leads me down the wrong path again, as it probably will, you have to know that I’d never want you to blame yourself.”
She watched Oliver lean towards her, his expression serious as he murmured, “Knowing that doesn’t change how I’d feel, Chloe.”
Chloe held her breath for a moment, eyes locked on his. Something was different between them. The way Oliver was looking at her… it was as if the little dance they’d been doing for months was done, and they were now circling something much, much bigger.
The moment was interrupted by the arrival of first the nurse and then Emil. They checked her vital signs and pupils, and Emil carefully examined the swelling at the back of her head.
“It’s miraculous, really,” Emil said. “The swelling is going down much faster than I’d have expected. If you continue to improve at this rate, you can probably go home in a couple of days.”
Chloe groaned at the idea of being in the hospital that long, but she was feeling too sleepy to protest.
“Chloe, you need to stay awake now that you’re conscious,” Emil said, noticing the drooping of her eyelids. “At least for a few more hours.”
“I’ll keep her awake,” Oliver promised. “And page Lois - she went to get coffee.”
“Lois is here?”
“And Clark… and apparently Jimmy,” Oliver replied. “Since this is an official news story, the paper sent a photographer.”
“Oh. He and I haven’t spoken since I left,” Chloe said.
“I never asked, but… why did you break up?”
“Remember when you sent flowers and coffee to me at the Planet after that last big job I helped the team with? He read the note and got the wrong idea about us - in his defense, I had a hard time explaining you giving me a key card to your penthouse.”
“Huh - I guess I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not,” Oliver finally said.
Despite the chill of the hospital room, Chloe felt warmth blooming through her chest and spreading out to her fingertips. She reached out and grasped his hand. “I’m not either.” Whatever was happening between them, she felt ready for it in a way that she hadn’t before, and suddenly she couldn’t wait to leave the hospital.
Lois arrived, filling the room with the whirlwind energy she always exhibited. She was followed soon after by Clark; and while they still had a lot to talk about to get their friendship back on track, Chloe realized now that they’d be okay.
The hours passed quickly with her visitors taking turns keeping her awake until Emil finally pronounced it was safe for her to sleep. And as she drifted off, it was Oliver who was there holding her hand.
A/N: Well, this story has been languishing, so I wanted to get this update posted first. Hope it was worth the wait and it won't be so long for the next one if you're still reading. Thanks for all the support for this story - it means a lot that readers love it enough to keep reminding me to post :-) I've gotten behind on responding to reviews, and I'm trying to catch up. I'm overseas, and my Internet connection is not the best most days.
Up Next - More on the story of Jenkins and Whittaker, some Chlarky moments, Chloe's family arrives, and the birthday bash is on as Chloe and Oliver start defining what they are. More soon!