Fic: Letting Go (Chlollie, 17/20)
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 Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Oliver opened the door to Chloe’s apartment and stood aside to allow Chloe, Lois, and Lanie to enter. “Ladies first.”
Chloe went straight for her sofa and sat, sighing in relief. “I never really get how much I hate hospitals until I find myself an unwilling patient yet again. It is really, really nice to be out of there.” She immediately reached for the laptop on her coffee table, but Oliver was faster and snatched it out of her reach.
“Oh no - no work, Sidekick,” Oliver admonished, setting the laptop on a high shelf of her bookcase.
“Oliver - I’m fine. And you know how cranky I get when I can’t get my Internet fix.” She smiled at him. “Please?”
Oliver laughed at her. “Chloe, you’re recovering. Emil said you’ll be fine to resume most normal activities next week, but until then…”
“Rest.” Chloe sighed with displeasure. “Fine. I swear you worry more than all my relatives and Clark combined.”
“Aw, you’re cute when you pout,” he teased her, walking over to sit beside her. He put an arm around her and kissed the side of her head gently. “You want to be a hundred percent for your birthday party, right?”
“Speaking of the birthday bash, I have some calls to make,” Lois said, heading for the door.
“Low key, Lois - I’m serious,” Chloe called after her before settling against Oliver’s shoulder. It felt good to be close to him, and she felt all her tense muscles beginning to relax. His hand came up and stroked down her arm in a soothing gesture, drawing a sigh of contentment from her.
“You know, that nickname makes a lot more sense now,” Lanie said with a laugh. “Sidekick.”
Chloe straightened up, eyes wide as she glanced between Lanie and Oliver.
“She knows,” Oliver confirmed. “She and Mike managed to find their way to the warehouse just as the team was getting ready to go in, and I outed myself to get her to call off your editor. Apparently he was waiting to hear from her and if she missed the call-in, he was going to hit the panic button. I was afraid they’d compromise our plan to get you out.”
“Mike too?” Chloe questioned.
Lanie spoke up, a flash of irritation in her expression. “No, Mike was knocked unconscious by the Batman.”
“For which he’s very sorry,” Oliver added.
“What did you tell Mike?” Chloe asked. She’d have to have an appropriate talk with Bruce about knocking out her friends since she doubted he was at all sorry about it.
“After the first responders arrived and we knew you were safe, the fast one - I think you called him Impulse - took us back to my apartment. When Mike started regaining consciousness, I pretended to be waking up at the same time. He thinks I got gassed after I made the call to Harry and I’m as clueless as he is about what happened after that.” She shook her head. “I hate lying to him, but I get it. And I’m mad at myself for not figuring it out earlier, especially after the way Green Arrow kissed you that night.”
Chloe felt her cheeks warming as she recalled that kiss. “Well, I mean, who’s going to guess that Oliver Queen is running around fighting crime when he’s not running his company or keeping the tabloids in business? You have to admit - billionaire playboy CEO is a pretty good cover.”
“So I guess a lot of the playboy out on the town stories are exaggerated?” Lanie asked.
“Or planted - I’ve had a few circulated to throw off suspicion in the past,” Oliver said. “But mostly the tabloids make up stories to sell papers, and I just let them run with it as long as it’s not so defamatory that it’s going to hurt the company.”
“Well, I’m kind of relieved,” Lanie told him. “I had a certain idea about you before I met you. When I started getting to know you that changed, and I could never really find a way to reconcile the two sides of you. It was confusing.”
They continued to talk as Chloe got settled back into her apartment. After Oliver left with the promise to return with dinner later, Lois enlisted Lanie’s help with some of the party planning, shooing Chloe away when she tried to listen in.
Chloe took the opportunity to have a long, hot bath and very carefully washed her hair. The nurses had rinsed her hair with water before Emil stitched the small wound on the back of her head, and they’d rinsed her hair again two days later, but she still hadn’t felt really clean. If she continued to heal at the rate she was, she’d have the stitches out before her birthday which was a definite plus.
After her bath Chloe took a nap, surprised by how tired she actually felt. When she woke up and ventured out to her living room, Lois was gone and Lanie was working on her laptop.
Lanie looked up with a smile. “Hey - feeling better?”
“Yes. It’s amazing what a real bath will do for a girl’s spirits - not to mention sleeping in her own bed,” Chloe replied with a smile. “Where’s Lois?”
“Meeting Ashlyn and Mike to discuss your birthday. Just so you know, I think Oliver surrendered his credit card.”
Chloe groaned. “Great. I’d really prefer that she not make such a big deal about this, but with our family in town I know she’s going to.”
“She was kind of frazzled when she first got here,” Lanie commented. “I think all of this birthday planning is a way for her to try and forget that you could have died.”
Chloe knew Lois, and she knew Lanie was probably right since her cousin had never dealt well with confronting loss. “Mike and Ashlyn seem to be spending a lot of time together lately.”
Lanie nodded, putting her laptop away. “I think they’re definitely entering new relationship territory. Kind of like you and Oliver.”
“We haven’t talked about anything yet, but it’s different. And now that I’ve dealt with the whole Clark situation, I feel better about everything,” Chloe admitted. “I think what happened between me and Clark was hanging over me a lot more than I realized.”
“What exactly did happen between you and Clark? And you and Jimmy, for that matter.”
“Clark was… my first love - mostly unrequited aside from a brief period during freshman year in high school,” she said softly. “Jimmy was jealous - first of Clark and later of Oliver. I was hiding a lot from him, as you can probably imagine, so I can’t say that I blame him.”
“Well, he’s a very unhappy camper on this assignment. Lois came by the office yesterday, and he was with her. He made some derogatory comments about the photos of you and Oliver, and I seriously thought Mike was going to punch him - or Lois maybe.”
“Lois told me that he thinks I cheated on him with Oliver,” Chloe explained. “I don’t know - in his shoes, maybe I’d think the same thing. I helped Ollie out on occasion, so he gave me the codes for his penthouse in Metropolis. He also sent me flowers and some premium coffee as a thank you for some work I did. The problem is that he sent the flowers to the office and Jimmy read the card. You can imagine how that conversation went since he had no idea Ollie and I were even friends. It must look suspicious to him that after Oliver sent me gifts, I moved to Star City. And just a few months later, we were a tabloid staple. I can’t exactly explain that away without telling him secrets that aren’t mine to tell.”
“You should know he found a sympathetic ear in Gwyn, and she and Lois have already had one confrontation about gossip she was spreading in the office afterwards. I admit that was fun to watch - Lois got right in her face and called her a jealous, skank-ass bitch,” Lanie said with a grin. “If Gwyn had the funds for a hit man, I’d fear for Lois’ life. I’ve never seen her that pissed - it was spectacular.”
“Okay, your turn to share. Please tell me why you and Gwyn are always at each other’s throats.”
Lanie sighed, grabbing a pillow from the sofa and hugging it to her chest. “I told you before that Gwyn and I were roommates. And for a couple of years, we were also friends. Gwyn’s problem is that she’s really competitive - about everything. Her family was poor when she was growing up, so she’s had to work to get where she is. I’ll give her that. But she can’t stand to see someone else get something that she wants, and a lot of people didn’t like her because of it.”
“I thought people just didn’t understand her. But then we were both up for an internship at the Gazette the summer before our senior year. I got in and she didn’t. And then there was Mike. I had feelings for him that went way beyond friendship, and she knew that. Mike had no clue of course, and he was always flirting with Gwyn - in a teasing way I guess, but it still hurt. When I got that internship, she started behaving differently towards me. And then I walked into our dorm room and found the two of them… together.”
Chloe felt her gut twist in sympathy. “She did it to get back at you?”
Lanie nodded. “And she rubbed my face in it for most of our senior year. She and Mike kept dating - or whatever they were calling it. I don’t think it was really serious. Then Mike had that injury a few months before graduation, and she moved on. She’d ridden the high of dating one of the campus basketball stars, and she’d milked every opportunity to make sure I knew Mike didn’t have the same feelings for me that I had for him. Her work was done.”
“I didn’t think I could dislike Gwyn any more than I already did, but I was wrong.” Chloe couldn’t imagine having her best friend turn on her like that. She and Lana had certainly had their issues involving Clark, but it was nothing in comparison to the hell Gwyn put Lanie through. “How do you feel about Mike and Ashlyn? Are you okay with it?”
“Don’t worry. I got over Mike a long time ago, and he and I eventually talked about the whole sordid mess. He was pretty horrified to realize that Gwyn used him to deliberately hurt me. And all’s well that ends well,” she said with a smile. “The truth is that I think Mike and I ended up where we were supposed to be all along. He’s one of my best friends, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
“That’s how I feel about Clark,” Chloe said. “I was head over heels for years, and he loved someone else. It hurt - a lot. But seeing him again has really put things in perspective for me. I still love him, and I always will. But for the first time I’m one hundred percent sure I’m not in love with him.”
“And Oliver?” Lanie asked curiously.
“I have feelings for him - strong ones,” she admitted. “The intensity of it is a little outside my experience.”
“That, my friend, is a sign,” Lanie pointed out. “And I know Oliver has strong feelings for you. I’ve never seen anyone as visibly shaken as he was when you were gone, not to mention while we were waiting for news on your condition. He was devastated, Chloe.”
Chloe leaned back against the cushions of the sofa, pulling her legs up. There was no question that she and Oliver needed to talk. It was finding the right moment that was going to prove difficult.
**
Chloe thought her apartment was beginning to rival Grand Central Station with everyone constantly dropping in to check on her. Her father and the General had finally arrived along with her cousin Lucy, and Martha Kent had followed a day later. They’d been regular visitors since her release from the hospital. Some of her Gazette co-workers also called or came by during her first week at home, and she had received so many flower arrangements that she’d begun giving them away.
“You know, Chloe, we could give some of these to Meadowlark,” Mrs. Chandler said, referring to a local assisted living complex. “Or to the retirement center.”
“That’s a good idea,” Chloe replied. “I just can’t believe how many people are still sending flowers and cards. I don’t even know all of these people - they’re just residents of Star City showing their support.”
“You did expose criminals within the city government. And then you were kidnapped! In the middle of the day!” Mrs. Chandler shook her head. “It was shocking Chloe. Star City is a fair sized city, but we’re not New York. No one expects that here, and they’re grateful to you. You’re a part of the community now.”
“Well, I have to say I like reporting the news more than being the news story. When reporters started calling here, Oliver arranged to have my calls routed to his publicist.”
Chloe had resisted at first, but she could admit now it was a good idea. She wasn’t allowed to give details about her kidnapping until the trial anyway, or at least not publicly. Lois had wrested the full story from her as had Clark, though she knew neither of them would dream of publishing it. She had given them as much of an exclusive as possible, and she’d also answered questions for Lanie, who had written the story for the Gazette.
Meanwhile, Harry had promised the story was hers again as soon as she was well enough to return to the office; however, he’d informed her that he didn’t expect to see her until after the QI gala. Chloe wasn’t entirely happy with the forced vacation, but she knew Harry was stubborn and unlikely to change his mind on the matter.
“Oh, he’s worried about you. He just wants to make sure you have some peace and quiet while you’re recovering,” Mrs. Chandler rose from the sofa. “Now, what would you like for lunch, dear?”
Mrs. Chandler remained with her for most of the afternoon until Lois arrived. Chloe suspected some type of arrangements had been discussed without her knowledge because it seemed that she was never alone. When one visitor left, another arrived promptly, and Lois was staying at her apartment even though the Planet was paying for her hotel room. It wouldn’t have been so bad except for the fact that it made it nearly impossible for her and Oliver to talk.
That night was yet another example. Her father, Uncle Sam, Lucy and Lois had come for dinner, and they’d been joined by Martha, Clark and Oliver. Oliver had arranged for a high end food delivery service to deliver their meal and even brought over a bigger table for her dining area. The food was excellent and the dinner had been a success despite her uncle grilling Oliver like he would a threat to national security. Oliver hadn’t seemed to mind too much, brushing his hand against her back in a reassuring manner when he sensed her agitation. Martha had also been a big help, gently steering the General into other topics of conversation more appropriate to the dinner table.
However, things were still strained between her and her father, and Gabe remained rather quiet during dinner. But he did seem to pay close attention to the conversation and eventually ventured a few questions of his own regarding Chloe’s life in Star City. Still, there was no denying that something had been broken in their relationship for a long time and she had no idea how to fix it.
Chloe was still pondering this after they finished dinner and everyone was preparing to leave. Lois waited until the others left to make her own departure; she’d suddenly told Chloe she had some work to finish that night and would probably stay at the hotel. Chloe was sure this was Lois’ way of giving her and Oliver a chance to talk since Oliver was now going to stay with her in Lois’ place.
She didn’t need a babysitter no matter what the others thought. But she wasn’t about to turn down a chance to have Oliver all to herself for the night either. The kitchen and dining room had already been cleaned up since everyone had pitched in after dinner. Chloe sat down on the sofa and immediately yawned.
Oliver smiled at her. “Why don’t you go ahead and get ready for bed? Mrs. Chandler told Lois that you didn’t take a nap today.”
“The fact that I even still need a nap bugs me,” she grumbled, standing up. She had been out of the hospital for almost a week and was ready to get back to normal - or at least normal for her. She’d had a few headaches at first but they seemed to be gone now, and she felt mostly recovered from her head injury.
She’d admitted to Emil on one of his home visits that she was more tired than usual. His response was that she should pay attention to her body’s signals and sleep more if that’s what she felt she needed. He’d already expressed disapproval over her usual sleep pattern and the coffee consumption that accompanied it. Since she couldn’t go to work and her Internet time was being closely monitored, she’d given in to the urge to sleep after lunch every day.
Chloe ran a hot bath and added some of the expensive bath crystals that been part of a huge relaxation gift basket from Oliver to welcome her home. She’d already made repeated use of the bath pillow and bath products such as the fragrant bath crystals, shower gel, body butter, and herbal shampoo and conditioner that smelled like vanilla beans and lavender. The basket had also contained a set of super soft sheets that made her bed feel like heaven, as well as a selection of aromatherapy candles, a gel eye mask for her headaches, and a set of silk pajamas with a matching lined robe.
She relaxed against the bath pillow until the water began to cool. She took her time getting ready for bed these days - smoothing on the body butter while her skin was still damp, moisturizing her face, hands and feet. She’d also been dotting on the same eye cream that Martha swore by, telling her that her skin would thank her in another twenty years if she started young. It wasn’t until she was forced to slow down that she really saw how much she rushed through life. It was possible that Emil had a point about her crazy, self-inflicted schedule.
Chloe dressed in her pajamas and robe, slid her feet into her bunny slippers, and went to find Oliver. He was on the phone, talking business from the sound of it, so she went back to her bedroom to wait for him to finish. She lit a couple of the aromatherapy candles, set her table lamp to the dim setting, and curled up against the pillows.
She must have dozed off because when she woke, Oliver was blowing out the candles and the clock showed that an hour had passed. She could see that he’d had a shower. His hair was still damp and he was wearing pajama pants and a T-shirt.
“Hey,” she said softly.
He turned to her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
She reached out a hand to him. “I was waiting for you to finish your call. We’ve barely had a chance to talk since I got out of the hospital.”
Oliver took her hand and slid onto the bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist as she turned into him. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know. How has your week been?”
“Not bad actually. The whole city has been in such an uproar about the Whittaker-Jenkins scandal that the business world has been pretty damn quiet in comparison. I’m sure that’ll end soon, but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Things have been quieter here too. I admit that your idea to have my home phone calls routed to your publicist was a good one. The reporters are still buzzing around - they’ve tried contacting my family and co-workers, and the super has even caught a few sneaking into the building.”
“I heard. That’s been taken care of,” Oliver replied grimly.
She looked up at him. “They didn’t get an arrow in the behind, did they?”
He laughed at that. “No, but that’s not a bad idea. Then they’d have a new story.”
“I don’t think I have to worry about my neighbors looking for their fifteen minutes though. I don’t know all of them, but Mrs. Chandler knows everyone in the building. Everyone loves her, and they know we’re close.”
“You’re pretty popular yourself these days,” Oliver commented. “I haven’t heard of a single unflattering news story about you recently, and I’ve had Jay checking coast to coast. And speaking of Jay, he’s been issuing a lot of ‘No comment’ statements regarding us. He thinks a lot of the media speculation would die down if I release a more specific statement about our relationship.”
Chloe felt her heart skip as nervous butterflies fluttered against her ribcage. “What would you say?”
“That’s up to you, I guess. I know what I want to say, Chloe. I feel something for you that I’ve never actually felt before - with anyone. And I know we haven’t talked about it, but I was kind of hoping that I’m right about you feeling it too.”
Chloe shifted to look up at him. He was beautiful in the dim light of her bedroom, his expression expectant and hopeful. She placed her hand along his jaw, stroking lightly. “I feel it.”
Oliver pulled her higher against him and kissed her gently. They lay together that way for several minutes, sharing slow kisses that made her feel warm and safe and cared for. She’d felt different things with Clark and later with Jimmy, but she’d never felt even a fraction of the emotion that crept into every fiber of her being when she was with Oliver.
When he pulled back, he cupped her cheek and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I propose that we let Jay release a statement confirming that we’re dating, we’re happy, and we won’t be giving interviews since we both appreciate our privacy. And I’d like to do it before your birthday and let the worst of it blow over before you go back to work. How does that sound?”
She couldn’t help giggling. “It’s just funny that we’re releasing a statement telling people we’re dating before we’ve actually been on a real date. Our lives are weird.”
“Not gonna argue with that. And I will definitely be taking you out on a real date as soon as Emil says you’re a hundred percent,” he told her.
“I am so looking forward to that,” Chloe said longingly. “And the date, of course. How soon do you want to do this?”
“Tomorrow?” Oliver suggested. Noting her hesitation, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
She bit her lip. “I think I should tell my dad in person. He’s not big on asking questions about my life anymore, but the topic of you did come up while I was still in the hospital and I told him we’re just friends. There are so many things I’ve had to lie to him about over the years. I just don’t want him to think this is another one of those things. Maybe it won’t matter to him, but still…”
“I couldn’t help noticing your relationship with your dad seems awkward,” Oliver commented. “How long has it been that way?”
“Since high school. You know about my problems with Lionel and the trial. He left Smallville for work after that whole mess, and I chose to stay and finish high school. The time apart seemed to drive a wedge between us, and then I found out about Clark. I accept my share of the blame. I thought keeping my distance made things safer for him, but I guess it hurts that he doesn’t try harder.”
“You know what I saw when I looked at your dad tonight? I saw a man who wanted to connect but didn’t know how. He probably feels like he doesn’t know you anymore, and I can imagine that’s a terrible feeling to have about your child. Try extending the olive branch - if he doesn’t take it, it’s his loss.”
“Maybe I can call him in the morning and ask him to come over for lunch,” Chloe said tentatively. “Mrs. Chandler always makes too much food anyway. I’ll need to start dieting if I don’t go back to work soon - otherwise I won’t fit into my clothes.”
Oliver pinched her hip playfully, and she squealed. “I think you’re fine. I happen to like what I feel back there.”
“Says the man with no fat on his body,” she joked. “Why don’t you tell Jay to get the statement ready, and I’ll call you as soon as I’ve talked to my dad… and Lois, Lanie, and Clark. I’ll let Clark and Lois deliver the news to Martha and Uncle Sam so they’re not taken by surprise. And I guess I should call Lucy - her feelings will be hurt if she hears it from Lois. At the latest, Jay can probably release it the day after tomorrow.”
“I’ll give Ashlyn a call,” Oliver said. “And the team - they’re all sticking around until after your birthday party. None of them will be surprised, but they should hear it from one of us and not the tabloids.”
“How bad do you think the tabloids will be?” That was the one part that filled her with a sense of trepidation. While it was true that she’d become more accustomed to the cameras that often followed Oliver around, she still felt weird knowing that people were taking her picture whenever they were out together.
Oliver sighed. “I won’t lie - you’ll probably want to hide for the first couple of days, and paps will be desperate for a photo op. Jay’s advice is always to give them what they want to a certain extent - for example, I can take you to lunch the day after he releases the statement, let them get a photo. We’ll be attending your birthday party together, so we can let them get a few photos going into the party. Then there’s the gala. It should be enough to keep them happy for a while, but if any of them get invasive tell me.”
“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve ever been able to really talk through issues in a relationship. For some reason, Jimmy brought out a petty and snarky side to me when things got complicated. I’m not saying it was always his fault, but placating him could be exhausting.”
“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but you shouldn’t ever feel like you have to pacify me. Just be honest. We’ll argue about a lot of things, but that just means lots of making up.” He kissed her again to emphasize his point. “Now, we should probably get some sleep. You look tired.”
“Stay with me?” She asked softly.
“Happily,” he answered her, helping her up so he could pull back the covers.
Chloe removed her robe, suddenly feeling shy even though her pajamas were perfectly respectable, as were Oliver’s. But sharing a bed was a big deal even if they did nothing but sleep. She might want to take it further but she knew she wasn’t ready yet; not physically and maybe not emotionally. It gave her something to think about.
She allowed Oliver to have the side of the bed closest to the door, knowing he’d likely prefer that. He slipped under the covers with her and reached out to turn off the lamp before turning to her.
“Come here.”
She went willingly. Oliver settled on his back, fitting her body against his side as he hugged her close. She shifted to find a comfortable position, feeling the strangeness that came with sharing a bed with someone new after a long period of sleeping alone. Then there was the size disparity - frankly, he was huge and her bed was only a double. She finally looped one leg over his, stretched her arm across his waist, and burrowed her head against his shoulder.
“Comfy?” Oliver asked in amusement.
“Very,” she sighed. He stroked her back gently, massaging the back of her neck, and she felt her eyes drifting shut against her will. Because she didn’t really want to sleep; what she wanted was to lie awake and enjoy this feeling for the rest of the night.
She and Oliver weren’t dancing around their attraction anymore. They’d had a grown up discussion, made decisions, and she felt euphoric. For this one night, she didn’t even have to share it. It was all hers - all theirs.
Maybe that’s the key to a successful relationship, she thought sleepily. Making sure we keep something just for us.
She was asleep moments later.
A/N - Birthday bash up next! You’ll find a link at the beginning of this chapter to dresses for Chloe’s birthday party and the QI gala. I updated the links a couple of days ago, and the dresses are all new. I’ve already made final decisions for the birthday dresses, but I have a few options for Chloe’s dress for the gala - I’m leaning towards Dress 1 but I’m still deciding. Thanks for reading! More coming soon.