If You Want Me (Chlollie, 8/10)
Author: Poetgirl925
Title: If You Want Me
Summary: Chloe steps outside her comfort zone while on an internship in Star City, California. Returning to Metropolis, she's determined to focus on her career while attempting to fix the mess her personal life is in. But just when things seem to be getting back to normal, Oliver Queen arrives in Metropolis and complicates everything.
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Chloe / Oliver
Fandom: Smallville
Warnings: Up to season 7, but canon sort of goes out the window with this one. Altered S7-S8
Disclaimer: Don’t own, just playing :)
Chapter 8
Lois sat at her desk, chin propped on her hand. It was nearly five o’clock on Friday, and she had been watching Chloe, who was across the room at her own desk, for the last fifteen minutes. Usually her blonde cousin was a flurry of activity in the bull pen, taking calls, making notes, or chatting with Clark as her fingers flew across the keyboard. However, today she was spacing out again, quiet and staring at her monitor as if waiting for her article to write itself. It wasn’t normal.
It had been a month since Chloe and Clark had called a halt to their fake relationship. The official story was that while they loved each other, they had realized they weren’t in love with each other. They had assured Perry that they were still best friends and had no problem continuing as writing partners. And if anyone was surprised that they were also continuing to share an apartment, they were wise enough not to gossip about it in front of Lois.
Lois knew that something else had happened between Chloe and Oliver, the details of which she had so far been unable to pry out of her little cousin. She’d been able to get a bit more out of Clark, who was far less experienced in how to deflect Lois Lane when she was on the trail of information. By filling in the blanks, she was pretty sure that Chloe had slept with Oliver again and they’d subsequently had a falling out. When she’d muttered something about finding the billionaire playboy and kicking his ass Lane style, Clark had sheepishly admitted to punching him.
Lois still couldn’t quite imagine her cousin’s bumbling, mild-mannered best friend having the gumption to go to Queen’s office and lay the smackdown on him, but she couldn’t say she hadn’t been impressed. One thing she was sure of was that Clark loved Chloe as much as she did, and as a result she had a soft spot for the small town farm boy.
Since then Chloe had been much more subdued than usual. She went to her classes, worked at the Planet, and did little else. Everyone at work gave her the space they assumed she probably needed after her breakup, and Lois followed suit since pushing Chloe to do or say things she wasn’t ready to do or say generally never ended well. But that was about to change.
Lois grabbed her phone and hit nine on her speed dial. Lucy had recently arrived in Metropolis since she was interning for a designer who had offices there as well as in L.A., New York, London, and Paris. While she and Lucy didn’t always get along, they were still family and shared a love of their only cousin. And if she was going to break Chloe out of this funk, a little help would be appreciated.
***
Chloe eyed her cousins as they moved around Lucy’s fancy hotel suite. “Why can’t we just go to a movie? I’m not really in the mood for a club.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that whole breakup with Clark was real,” Lois commented. “You haven’t been in the mood for anything except school and work in a month - a month, Chloe. When exactly did you become such a downer? You know that with Lucy in town, it’s the perfect time for a girls’ night.”
Chloe fought the urge to roll her eyes at Lois, who thought any day ending in y was the perfect time for a girls’ night out. According to both her cousins, it was practically criminal to spend Saturday night sitting at home. She figured their love of clubbing was born of their strict upbringing on various military bases around the world.
“Come on, Chlo,” Lucy urged. “Monique let me raid the fashion closet, which actually has some sample sizes above a size two. I picked out a few things for each of us to choose from, and I have shoes and accessories. Don’t spoil my fun - how often do I get a chance to dress both of you at the same time?”
At her younger cousin’s pleading tone, Chloe relented. “Fine. What do you have for me?”
Two hours later Chloe was dressed in a dark turquoise bandage dress that clung to every curve and ended well above the knee. Black lace panel detailing showed glimpses of skin at the waist, and the deep v-neck revealed a little more of her cleavage than she was used to putting on display. She eyed herself critically.
“I don’t know. Isn’t this a little…” she paused, biting her lip.
“Hot?” Lois provided helpfully.
“Revealing,” Chloe said. “I feel like I’m showing a lot of skin.”
“Says the girl who used to push the boundaries of school dress code by showing the same amount of cleavage,” her cousin pointed out.
“I like to think I grew into a sense of modesty.”
“Chloe, you look fantastic. That dress was made for you. In fact, you should keep it,” Lucy said as she glanced over an array of accessories on her bed. She tossed Chloe a pair of black, peep toe stilettos with at least a four inch heel. “Here, try those on.”
Chloe caught the heels and shook her head. “Lucy, these are Christian Dior. You don’t throw Dior around like a football.”
Lucy snorted. “Chlo, you should see what they throw around at fashion shows. And you can keep those too if they fit.”
“You’re not going to be arrested for stealing swag, are you?” Lois glanced at Lucy suspiciously.
“Relax, Lois. These are the perks of an intern, and Monique happens to love me,” Lucy replied. “You don’t think I bought my entire wardrobe on the allowance I get from the General, do you?”
“Well, in that case, I can keep what I’m wearing, right?” Lois admired her own dress, an off-the-shoulder black silk mini paired with sky high gold heels. “You should come to town more often. How long will you be here, anyway?”
“A month maybe?” Lucy shrugged. “It depends on how quickly Monique gets bored. We spend most of our time in New York and Paris. London is too rainy, and L.A. is too… something. She’s not always specific in her complaints. But she usually likes Metropolis, and she has some ideas for fashion layouts using the city as a backdrop.”
“You know we’re happy you’re here regardless. We don’t see enough of you,” Chloe said, sliding the heels on and taking a few experimental steps. “And these heels are amazingly comfortable.”
The next few minutes were spent in a flurry of choosing jewelry and bags. Then they were off in the hired town car that was at Lucy’s disposal on weekends.
“Maybe I’m in the wrong business,” Lois said, running a hand over the leather seats.
“Yeah, like you would have the patience to deal with temperamental photographers, fashion designers, and models.” Lucy’s tone was one of condescending amusement.
When Lois glared at her little sister, Chloe said, “Come on Lo, she has a point. You don’t even like dealing with our copy editors.”
“Fine, you have a point.” Lois pulled out her phone. “Ace of Clubs, right? I can call the manager and get us into the VIP room. He owes me a favor.”
At the mention of VIP rooms, Chloe found herself wondering if Oliver was out. There hadn’t been any tabloid stories about his movements around Metropolis, though she’d heard mentions on her police scanner of the new, hooded hero in town. The police chief had tried to keep a lid on reports of vigilante activity around the city. But with so many calling Metropolis home, he was having a harder time of it lately.
She figured he was probably being kept busy at Queen Industries, especially after Harding’s indictment. Stocks had taken a dive the first couple of weeks following his arrest but had since risen, largely due to Oliver’s presence in town. She had seen him from a distance at the Planet a couple of weeks ago. He’d been there for a meeting with Tess and Perry, and she hurried back to the bull pen in her efforts to avoid him. She’d also passed the Harding story off to Lois when Clark expressed reluctance about pursuing it alone. Considering that she’d told Clark way too much about her involvement with Oliver, it was probably for the best.
When they arrived at the Ace of Clubs, they bypassed the line altogether since Lois’ name was on the list. Within minutes of walking in, they were greeted by a hostess who led them up the stairs to one of the most exclusive areas of the club. Couches and tables were scattered about, and there was a private bar off to the side. Low lighting created a more intimate environment for those who wanted a chance to talk, and a smaller dance floor was located in a room to the left.
The club was packed, and even the VIP area seemed busier than usual. Chloe followed Lucy and Lois as the hostess showed them to a table that had an excellent view of the main club and the guest deejay. Drinks were ordered and they were soon joined by a few of Lois’ friends. For the first time in weeks, Chloe found she was able to relax and let go of the stress she’d been carrying around like a lead weight in her stomach. Maybe a night out hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.
***
Hal waited for his drink order as he glanced around the VIP area. He and Oliver had been at the club for a couple of hours, having dinner and spending a little time downstairs before making their way up to the VIP room. Tess had joined them for dinner and was still downstairs with Emil enjoying the live jazz band.
The Ace of Clubs was one of the best clubs in Metropolis, and Hal hadn’t been disappointed when it came to the women in town either. Accepting his drink from the bartender, he turned and promptly bumped into someone.
“Sorry, honey,” he said, flashing a charming smile as he backed up. His eyes widened as he recognized the small blonde before him. “Uh - Lois, right?”
The look of dismay on her face was almost comical. “Hi.”
“Hi.” They both stood there awkwardly for a moment. “So you’re from Metropolis?”
“About two hours outside the city, but I live here now. And it’s Chloe, not Lois.”
Hal’s brows rose at that. He was sure he hadn’t forgotten her name. “Chloe, huh? Okay. Are you here with friends?”
“My cousins, Lois and Lucy - you might remember her.” Chloe waved her hand in the direction of a table to the left.
Hal recognized Lucy. “Lucy and Lois are sisters?” Interesting. She’d apparently been purposefully vague when it came to personal details that night for a reason. He suddenly felt a little bad for how much he’d ribbed Oliver over the disappearing blonde.
She looked slightly embarrassed as she nodded. “Look, obviously you realize I lied about my name that night. It was just supposed to be fun - it wasn’t really something I thought through.”
Hal raised his hands. “Hey, no judgment from me. But you know, Ollie was a little upset when you snuck out on him. Nice trick with the security cameras, by the way. He’s here if you’d like to…”
“No,” she interrupted hastily. She backed away. “It was nice to see you again, but I should get back.”
Hal walked across the room to the table where Oliver sat with two women who’d followed them upstairs, though he didn’t seem to be paying them much attention. “The bartender will send someone over in a minute. Oh, and by the way? I just saw Lois.”
Oliver stiffened and sat up straighter. Taking a sip of his drink, his tone deceptively casual, he asked, “Lois who?”
Oh, this was going to be fun. Hal sat back and stretched his legs. “Oh, come on Ollie, you remember. She likes Tasers and sneaking out on sleeping billionaires. Funny thing though - she said her name is Chloe, and she’s here with her cousins, Lucy and Lois.”
Oliver didn’t express any surprise over that piece of information, and it hit Hal that Oliver knew exactly who Chloe was. “But you already know that, don’t you?”
Oliver finally looked at him. “She’s an intern at The Daily Planet. I ran into her there when I was meeting with Perry White.”
Well, that explained a lot about the mood Oliver had been in lately. “I’m guessing no sparks flew the second time around.”
“Chloe has a boyfriend,” Oliver replied shortly, knocking back the rest of his drink. “Can we not talk about this? I thought tonight was about having fun.”
Over the next hour, it became apparent that there was going to be very little fun in their evening. While Hal did his best to coax Oliver out of his sour mood, Oliver drank and took brooding to a new level. Hal prided himself on being charming enough for both of them, but the situation was rapidly getting out of hand.
When Oliver started looking around the room, Hal quickly realized he wasn’t checking out the ladies so much as he was looking for one in particular. Deciding that was probably a bad idea, he stood up.
“Hey, why don’t we head down and check out that jazz band?” Hal took one of the girls by the hand and pulled her up before holding his other hand out to her friend.
Oliver ignored them for a moment but then stood and headed for the stairs. He didn’t even look back to see if they were following.
Hal forced a smile. “After you, ladies.”
***
Chloe successfully fended off another of the men Lois and Lucy had sent her way, torn between amusement and frustration at her cousins’ antics. She’d agreed to a girls’ night; she hadn’t agreed to let them play matchmaker.
She picked up her soda and lime, taking a long sip as she saw Lois coming her way. “Having fun?”
“Are you?” Lois sighed. “Chlo, come on.”
“Come on, what? Lois, despite what you may think, I don’t need a man to have fun. I’m enjoying some very good jazz music and my time with you and Lucy.”
“How about dancing then? We could go back upstairs…”
“No,” Chloe cut her off abruptly. “I like it better down here.” That was especially true after running into Hal. She was grateful she hadn’t actually seen Oliver and that Lucy and Lois were unaware of his presence.
Lois made a face. “Fine, but I’m ordering shots. You’re far too sober at the moment.”
“I also don’t need to be drunk to have a good time,” she pointed out, sighing when Lois ignored her.
She sat back in her chair and propped her chin on her hand. She wished she’d never seen Hal that evening. Knowing that he and Oliver were upstairs was killing her mood, and she was bringing down the tone of the whole evening at this point. She’d caught a couple of Lois’ friends looking at her like she was a total buzzkill, and it stung, but she was having a hard time recapturing that light feeling from the beginning of the evening.
“Chloe?”
She glanced up to see Tess Mercer standing by her table with a man she immediately recognized. “Ms. Mercer. And Dr. Hamilton - wow. It’s such an honor to meet you. I’m a big fan of your work.” She stood to greet them.
Dr. Hamilton nodded at her. “Are you a scientist then?”
“Emil, this is Chloe Sullivan. She’s one of our finest interns at The Daily Planet,” Tess explained. “Soon to be our newest full time reporter once she graduates in a couple of months.”
“Ah, I see. I believe I do recognize your name, Ms. Sullivan. You broke the Harding story, correct? That was a fine piece of reporting. I am surprised that you know my work.”
“I’m a bit of a geek at heart,” Chloe told him with a smile. “I’ve read all of your neurological studies, and you’ve done a lot of amazing work with the meteor infected. Your crisis center has been a big help to the people of Kansas.” She’d even considered going to Dr. Hamilton herself when she figured out she was also infected, but her fear had kept her silent. She’d told Clark, and Lois had figured it out after Chloe healed her when she’d suffered a near fatal knife wound in pursuit of a story two years earlier.
It was the one and only time she’d used her power and if Lois and Clark had their way, it would be the last. She’d died and subsequently come back from the dead that night, and she’d been thankful it had happened out of town in a place where no one knew either her or Lois. They’d destroyed all record of her being at the busy and chaotic Detroit hospital, and no one had been the wiser.
“Thank you. It’s fascinating work, really. Are you from Metropolis, Ms. Sullivan?”
Chloe hesitated before she answered. “I’m originally from Metropolis, but my father and I moved to Smallville when I was twelve. I still consider it home, though I doubt I’ll ever live there again.”
“Ah - ground zero for the meteor infected. And now I know why your name was nagging at my memory. You started writing about the meteor infected while you were in high school. I confess that I read the archived articles of The Torch when I began my research. If you’d ever like to discuss the work, feel free to come by my office.”
Once again she found herself wondering just how trustworthy Dr. Hamilton really was. She’d read every piece of his research she could get her hands on, but she hadn’t come across any cases similar to her own. It would be a weight off her shoulders to finally get some answers about her condition since the fear that she’d eventually end up like her mother continued to plague her.
Deciding to test the waters, she cleared her throat. “My mother was… meteor infected. She left when I was young, and she later died in a mental institution after being in a catatonic state for years. I was only sixteen at the time, and I started reading your research because I was trying to make sense of her condition.”
The sympathy in his eyes was unmistakable. “I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been very difficult for you. If you’d like, I’d be happy to go over her records from the institution and talk to you about it.”
“Thank you.” Glancing over at Ms. Mercer, she smiled. “I’m sorry, Ms. Mercer. This isn’t really the right setting for this conversation. I’ve been informed that I’m being a buzzkill tonight.” Chloe wondered if she and Oliver had heard the office gossip. She doubted that Perry would have brought it up, so she hoped they hadn’t. The last thing she wanted was Oliver thinking he was the reason for the breakup.
The redhead smiled at that. “No worries, Chloe. And please call me Tess. We were on our way out, but I hope you enjoy the rest of your night. Even serious professionals like us need a break every now and then.”
Chloe waved as they walked away. She supposed Tess had a point. She felt like she was twenty-two going on fifty most days, and maybe that was something she needed to work on. So when Lois and her entourage returned, Chloe didn’t fight her on the shots. She even danced with a couple of the guys Lois introduced her to, and gradually she began to let go of her tension and relax again.
She was returning to the bar with Lucy and Lois when she literally ran straight into Oliver. His hands reached out to steady her in an automatic gesture, and they both flinched away from the contact almost immediately.
Lucy exchanged a look with Lois before speaking to Hal, who was right behind Oliver with two women. “Hal. And Oliver. This is a surprise.”
Before Hal could reply, Oliver spoke up. “Lucy, right?” He turned his attention to Chloe. “And your sister Lois? It is Lois, isn’t it?”
Chloe felt her anger returning, and she welcomed it. She’d take anger over feeling rejected and unwanted any day.
Hal cleared his throat and tried to smooth over the situation. “I think you mean Chloe, don’t you?” He looked at Lois and sent her a charming grin. “Now, you must be Lois. I’m very sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet in Star City.”
Oliver kept his eyes on Chloe as he said, “That’s right, it is Chloe. And Lucy is actually your cousin, and Lois is her sister. Gotta say, you definitely had me going that night. So where’s Clark this evening? Or does he even you’re here?”
Lucy and Lois both jumped in.
“You do not get to talk to her that way,” Lucy said angrily, taking a protective step in Chloe’s direction.
“Don’t worry, Lu - he won’t be talking at all after I punch that smug expression off his face,” Lois stated, fists clenched. “You egotistical waste of…”
“Whoa, whoa!” Hal hurriedly stepped between Oliver and Lois. “Calm down there, beautiful. I’m afraid he’s a little drunk. I’m sure he didn’t mean that to sound so insulting, right Ollie?”
“Hey, I’m just stating truth. But then it figures they might have a problem with the truth.”
Hal wiped a hand down his face and turned to glare at his friend. “Jesus, Oliver. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Chloe had had enough. “Don’t worry about it, Hal. I’m not insulted at all. Actually, drunk billionaires throwing tantrums in public are just boring. Have fun babysitting.” She turned to Lois and Lucy. “Didn’t you say something about shots and dancing?”
Lucy and Lois flanked her as they rounded the bar and flagged the bartender. After ordering a round of shots and martinis, Lois turned to Chloe with a grin. “You just called Oliver Queen boring.”
“I’m just tired of apologizing for that night,” Chloe replied shortly as the bartender slid the shots in front of them. She took hers, clinked glasses with her cousin, and downed it. “I am sorry I lied, and it was embarrassing to be caught in that lie, especially in my workplace and with him turning out to be kind of my boss. And yeah, I know he thinks I cheated on Clark or something, but he’s acting like I mortally wounded him. Men and their damn pride.”
“Forget him,” Lucy said, waving her hand at the dance floor. “Have you seen the loads of eye candy here tonight? Bottoms up, cuz.”
***
From Oliver’s position at the bar, he could still see Chloe dancing with her cousins and their friends. Hal had suggested they go back upstairs but he’d resisted, uncaring that the ladies who’d come down with them eventually left. At Hal’s urging, he’d reluctantly told him about learning who Chloe really was, about Clark, and about the night she found out he was Green Arrow, something that had really surprised Hal.
“Ollie, none of this is really adding up.” Hal’s tone was carefully neutral.
Oliver tossed back his drink and signaled the bartender for another one. “Which part?”
“You said that Clark told you to stay away from her if you were just going to hurt her. From what you said, it sounds like he was defending her,” Hal pointed out. “Does that sound like something a man would do after his girlfriend cheated on him? I mean, punch the guy she was with, sure. I get that. The rest of it is weird, though.”
Oliver ran a hand over the back of his neck. He could admit to himself, at least, that he’d also been bothered by Clark’s words. Nothing about the situation had come off as Clark being the victim. “Hell, I don’t know. They’ve been friends since they were kids, so maybe he just didn’t react the way you or I would have because of that.”
“Maybe.” Hal sounded doubtful. “I’m a little more concerned that she knows what you do with your nights, man.”
Oliver sighed and lowered his voice. “I don’t think she’s going to tell anyone about that. She works with The Blur - she understands what’s at stake.”
“Look, the way I see it, you have two options. You can man up and talk to her about it, or you can just get over it already. It’s been months since that night in Star City, and I don’t think she set out to perpetrate some major deception. She was a girl out having fun, and she got a little carried away with it. You and I have both done a hell of a lot worse, and you know it. And this pissy brooding you seem to be into lately is getting old.”
Oliver didn’t answer because he knew Hal was right. He’d even promised himself he was done punishing Chloe for it and that he could be professional going forward. But seeing her out that night had pushed his buttons all over again, and he’d just reacted. It seemed he did that a lot when it came to Chloe Sullivan.
***
When Hal saw Lois making her way to the ladies room, he left Oliver at the bar and followed. “Hey Legs, wait up.”
Lois turned and frowned. “Did you just call me Legs?”
He grinned and made a show of checking her out. “Yep - they look like they go on for miles in those heels.”
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “What do you want?”
“I wanted to apologize for Oliver since I don’t think he’s quite there yet,” he explained. “And I was wondering about this Clark situation.”
Something flickered in her eyes at that. “What about it?”
“It’s just that Chloe doesn’t seem to be the cheating type, and from what Oliver told me about Clark’s visit, he doesn’t seem like the spurned lover in this situation. What gives?” Because something about the whole thing was fishy as hell in his opinion.
Lois crossed her arms. “I will tell you this. Clark and Chloe are not together, and Chloe never cheated on him. You’re right - she is not that type of girl. She’s also not the one night stand type, so that really surprised me. She is literally one of the most loyal people I know, so you can understand why I don’t like how he’s treating her.”
Hal ran a hand over his jaw. “No, I get that.” Lois’ words basically confirmed what he already suspected - that there had been some kind of major misunderstanding between Chloe and Oliver. “Look, I know he can be an ass, but he wouldn’t be acting like this if he didn’t care about her. He’s afraid of being hurt, and she hurt him by sneaking out the morning after. I thought it was just hurt pride at first, but I think it’s more than that now.”
“And you think she’s not afraid of the same thing? But she still put herself out there and got rejected for her efforts, so I don’t really give a rat’s ass about his feelings at the moment. Until he can be civil, I want him to stay the hell away from her. Because if he does it again, I’ll find creative ways to hurt him that he will not see coming. Are we clear?” Lois brushed her hair over her shoulder and smiled.
He couldn’t help smiling at that since he had no doubt she was dead serious. “You’re a little bit scary, you know that Lois? It’s kind of turning me on.”
“Not the first time I’ve been told that. Now if you’ll excuse me?” She disappeared into the ladies’ room.
Hal whistled as he walked back to the bar. Lois Lane was a firecracker, and he’d always liked explosions. Maybe he’d stick around Metropolis for the rest of his break and see what happened.
***
Oliver couldn’t get Hal’s words out of his head as he kept an eye on Chloe. She was headed back in his direction, and when she rounded the corner to his side of the bar, he intercepted her. “Chloe, wait.”
She stopped and looked at him, her face lacking its usual animation. “I’m done, Oliver.”
When she tried to step around him, he blocked her. “Why did you come to the clocktower that night?”
“Does it matter? You have made your opinion of me and that night - both nights actually - very clear. So why do you care?”
“Because you lied, Chloe. You lied about something as simple as your name, and I don’t understand why,” he shot back, his earlier frustration coming back to the forefront.
“And again - why do you need to understand it? So you can forgive me? Let me tell you something, Oliver Queen. I am not looking for your forgiveness!”
Oliver grabbed her hand before she could walk around him. She looked up at him, her eyes wet, and he felt a funny clenching sensation in his chest. He raised his hand and ran his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. And then he pulled her against him, turned her to the bar and kissed her hard, his mouth claiming hers almost desperately.
She responded immediately, her arms winding around his neck as she arched into him. Then she turned her head and pushed against his chest. “Stop.”
Oliver allowed her to push him back as they stared at each other, both breathing heavily.
Chloe shook her head. “I can’t do this.” She slid around him and disappeared into the crowd.
Oliver ignored the stares of the other people at the bar and picked up his drink, downing it quickly. When Hal returned, he said, “Let’s get out of here.”
When they arrived back at the clocktower, Oliver sat on the sofa and leaned his head back, suddenly exhausted.
“So I ran into Lois before we left,” Hal said casually. “She said something pretty interesting when I asked about Chloe’s relationship with Clark.”
Oliver scowled at Hal. “I didn’t ask you to meddle.”
“Yeah well someone needs to,” he replied easily. “She told me that Chloe never cheated on Clark. She also told me they’re not together, so you can do what you want with that information. Either way, it’s time to suck it up, buttercup. Talk to her or don’t, but you can’t keep acting like you did tonight.”
Hal headed for the guest room, leaving Oliver deep in thought as he stared out at the lights of the city.
***
Lucy yawned as they pulled to a stop in front of Chloe’s building. “Sure you don’t want to stay with me? That suite is ridiculously big for one person.”
“I’m good, thanks,” Chloe replied, opening the door and sliding out. Lois was already snoring lightly. Chloe leaned down to look at Lucy. “Brunch tomorrow?”
“Yes, please,” she replied. “But one of us will have to roll this one out of bed. Maybe I’ll just take her back with me.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you tomorrow!” Chloe waved and turned away.
The town car was pulling away from the curb when Lucy heard the screech of tires. Turning back, she was horrified to see two men grabbing Chloe and pulling her back towards a dark van. “Stop! Stop the car!”
The driver hit the brakes, and Lois woke up with a start. “What the hell is going on?”
Lucy was already out of the car, not even noticing the rough pavement cutting into the soles of her bare feet. “Hey! Let her go!” She heard Lois running behind her now. And then shots were fired, and Lucy felt herself being tackled to the ground.
When she raised her head, the van was pulling away and racing past them. As if it were happening in slow motion, she saw the face of the man on the passenger side. He smiled at her, raising his hand and pointing his index finger at her like he was firing a pistol. Then they skidded around the corner and disappeared from sight.
A/N: Sorry this took so long! I moved and started a new job, so the last couple of months have been hectic. I appreciate you guys hanging in there if you're still reading. Also, sorry for the evil cliffie! I've written the next chapter, so I'm going to edit it this week and get it up soon as well. The next chapter features the resolution of the jewelry heists story and an appearance by a DC character you should know from Birds of Prey. The Justice League also converges on Metropolis, and the clock is ticking as they start looking for Chloe. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the update!