Of Love and Friendship - NC17 - Chlollie- Part Twenty-Seven (1/2)
Title: Of Love and Friendship
Category: Smallville
Genre: Friendship/Romance/Humor/Action/Drama
Ship: Chloe/Oliver
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 7,323
Spoiler(s): 6x05 - Reunion
Summary: (AU) Chloe Sullivan grew up in Star City, California with high hopes of becoming a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, but destiny has other plans. Finding a best friend in billionaire Oliver Queen, their lives intersect and take them on a journey neither of them ever expected.
Previous: Prologue, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X, Part XI, Part XII, Part XIII, Part XIV, Part XV, Part XVI, Part XVII, Part XVIII, Part XIX, Part XX, Part XXI, Part XXII, Part XXIII, Part XXIV, Part XXV, Part XXVI,
dhfreak
XXVII. Of Reunions and Bald Billionaires
PART I
Excelsior Academy
October 26, 1996.
Remorse is something that comes and goes now. It's a feeling that bubbles below the surface of his skin; that reaches for his heart but recoils when it pumps harder, when it bangs against his ribs in a bid to feel something more than sadness or loss or loneliness. These frustrations manifest in ways he'll later regret, but in these moments all he feels is the need to tear somebody else down, to bring them to his level of anger.
When he sees Lex and Duncan discussing one of their comic books, his feet are moving faster than his head. He can't make out what Lex is saying, but he reaches over his shoulder and nabs the book from his hands quick and easy before glaring at the surprised duo, daring a wide-eyed Lex to do or say anything. When he simply stares, Oliver takes a step back, but his blood is still pumping. Part of him wants a fight, he wants to argue and snap and let it all out. But he doesn't, instead he lets it ruminate, every single day, until he takes it out on kids like Lex.
"Look who it is, boys..." He circles them, with best friends Alden and Geoffrey following. "Weirdo Angel and his trusty sidekick, Grease Spot."
The boys laugh, uninhibited.
Scared but trying not to show it, Lex demands, "Give it back, Ollie."
There's a moment, a flash in his mind, of when Oliver was just a little boy; a boy who played hide and seek and carried a play bow everywhere. A boy who was friends with Lex Luthor and Jason Teague. Back when his parents were alive and happy, when things just weren't so complicated.
At the memory, he revolts. "That's Mr. Queen to you," His brows arch condescendingly, "little man."
Jaw clenching, blood pumping, Lex stares up at him as if he wants to fight.
And Oliver can see it, that caged anger inside him, waiting to attack. He wants it to.
Duncan just wants away from it all; the peacekeeper. "It's okay, Lex…" he says to his friend encouragingly. "I'll just get another one."
"Yeah, Duncan will just get another one," Alden agrees mockingly. "Oh, wait, he can't…" He grins.
Arms crossed over his chest, Geoffrey sneers, "Oh, yeah, that's right. His mommy doesn't have any money. That's why he's on scholarship."
All the while, Oliver smirks. He can't remember if it was he who encouraged the bullying, the attitude, or if Geoffrey and Alden had influenced it, or maybe it was just happenstance of their lives. Three sons of absent parents; at least his had a reason, he supposed. Death didn't get vacation days.
"Shut up, Geoffrey. Shut up, Alden," Lex snapped before turning his eyes back toward Oliver. "Give it back..." he demanded before swallowing thickly and adding, "Mr. Queen."
There's a moment of triumph that balloons in his chest; of feeling like somehow, in this instance, he's won. But he still hasn't gotten what he wants; he still hasn't relieved any of the anger inside. "Sure…" He licks his lips, hiding a smirk. "You know what? Let's make this…" He sneers, lifting the comic book up for them to see, "-a two-parter." He tears it in half, jaw ticking all the while as the disappointment and anger registers on Lex's face. And now he really has won.
"Don't!" he cries, lunging for it.
Alden intercepts him, shoving him back and away, hard enough that he tumbles to the ground, his ball cap falling off, revealing the smooth, hairless surface of his bald head.
Alden and Geoffrey grin, laughing.
Sneering down at him, Alden nods. "Nice haircut, cue ball."
Duncan hurries over to help his friend up.
"Come on." Oliver slaps his hand against Geoffrey's chest. "These girls aren't even worth it."
As he leaves, the others follow; he says no more to the two of them, instead righting his Excelsior jacket, glancing once at Lex and continuing on. Behind him, Alden gets in Lex's face, calling him a "Loser," before leaving him there, laughing with Geoffrey as they catch up to Oliver.
He doesn't look back, chooses not to care, and as the bell rings, he tells himself that this moment doesn't matter; it's just one of many that will be added to the pile and forgotten.
He's wrong.
…
Present
Oliver woke up groggy, his body stiff and a headache already pounding away at his temples. The ambrosial aroma of coffee rent the area, beckoning him to the kitchen. Kicking his blanket off, which had become tangled around his legs in the night, he sat up, arching his back and rolling his shoulders. His body felt like it'd been put through the ringer a few times; he needed a hot shower and a workout to get himself feeling back on his game.
"Hey, Sleepyhead," he heard, and turned to see Chloe standing in the doorway, a mug of coffee in each hand and his green robe draped across her, open in the front. Sometimes, in moments like these, his mind went places he usually had to tell it not to. Place that involved what if… Her hair was slightly mussed; blonde waves that hadn't yet been brushed and tangled around her soft face. Having worn a long t-shirt to bed, her long legs drew the eye and there was a voice in his head, his own, that wondered how soft they'd be as he ran his hands across them. Mouth suddenly dry, he shook his head slightly.
Half-smiling, she stepped into the room, brought him his coffee and then tilted her head wonderingly. "You all right? You look like you had a rough sleep."
He took his drink gratefully and downed half of it in hopes it'd wake him up and bring his senses back. "Yeah," he rasped, tongue now raw and burning from the scalding coffee. Not his brightest idea, he'd admit. "Guess I'm not too thrilled to be going back to school…" he frowned. "Any chance we could play hookie and find something more interesting to do?"
She raised a brow, lips firming, and he knew she wasn't about to let him get out of it. "Come on, you can show me your old school, reminisce about old times…" She stared up at him searchingly. "Is this about Duncan?"
His body stiffened, eyes falling toward the floor darkly.
She reached for his shoulder, rubbing it in circles. "You've gotta face this sometime… It's been ten years… You can't live like this, Ollie."
He sighed, shoulders slumping. "Couldn't I just sacrifice myself on an altar somewhere and get it over with?"
She scoffed. "I take it you took Drama at Excelsior."
His lips tweaked with amusement.
She grinned, bumping his shoulder with hers. "Look, we'll go for a little while, we'll see some of your old friends, I'll get a few embarrassing stories out of it to tell at Christmas and if you still feel like getting out of there, we will… But don't let who you were or what you did get in the way of who you are now…" She stared up at him sincerely. "You're not that boy anymore, Oliver. And maybe you need to prove that to yourself…" Standing up, she hugged her robe closed, a sight he was sore to see go. "I'm going to take a shower, get ready, and then you and I need to head out… Maybe the drive will settle your nerves a bit."
As she was leaving, he muttered, "Not likely."
…
So her bright idea to play music from the nineties was actually kind of awesome.
Sitting next to him in his black corvette, the convertible roof put down, Chloe was signing at the top of her lungs, "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want…" She shoved his shoulder, but he wouldn't sing the next lyric and she just laughed. "I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha!" Sitting back in her seat, she kept singing, "If you want my future forget my past, If you wanna get with me better make it fast, Now don't go wasting my precious time, Get your act together we could be just fine." Turning once more, she sang, "I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want…"
Rolling his eyes, he said in a monotone rather than singing, "So tell me what you want, what you really really want…"
She sang the rest without bugging him, but giggled through the fake-rapping part, clapping all the while.
Finally, when she sat back, sighing to herself, he told her, "I wasn't a Spice Girls fan and I definitely wasn't singing that in my dorm room."
She snorted. "Backstreet Boys then? Ace of Base? Boyzone?"
He rolled his eyes. "Try Green Day or Nirvana… Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighers, Rage Against the Machine…"
"Ahh, teenage rebellion… Okay…" Searching through her mix CD's, she put another one in and turned up the volume. "Cut my life into pieces, This is my last resort. Suffocation, No breathing, Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding…" she chose to sing loud and tried her best to look comically angry as she did.
Biting his lip, he shook his head at her. "You're crazy."
"I could put Britney on," she suggested, smirking.
"Don't make me pull over," he argued, lifting his brows for emphasis.
Laughing, she reached for the dial and pushed it a few times, finally settling on a slower song. For awhile, she just hummed to the tune he recognized as an old No Doubt hit.
Her foot tapped along with it as she closed her eyes and just swayed. And then her eyes were on him, finally singing along, "Our memories, Well, they can be inviting, But some are altogether, Mighty frightening…"
"Okay, put Britney on," he scoffed, knowing what she was getting at.
She laughed lightly. "I didn't download any of her stuff… Besides, she came out after you graduated anyway. But, I do have…" She hit the button a couple times and when the Macarena filtered out, he laughed thickly, turning to see her rocking out in the passenger seat. Drivers moving past glanced at her funny but she couldn't care less, instead lifting her hands and doing the dance as best she could while sitting.
Just as she'd planned, she effectively gotten his mind off the coming reunion and the bad memories it brought with it.
…
Arriving at Excelsior, Oliver felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't say the entire experience was awful, that all he had were regrets, but it was those moments that stuck with him. There were people running to and fro, still setting everything up, from outside decorations to the banquet dinner inside. Circling the car, Oliver reached for Chloe's hand and smiled. "You wanted me to reminisce, right? Let's see if we can't get inside and take a look around…"
She arched a brow. "Pretty sure they asked us to stay in the designated area."
He shrugged. "Fine print…" He tugged her along, admiring the silk of her red dress as it hugged her curves. "Trying to nab a husband on my watch, Sunshine?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "Please… As if I want some stuffy boarding school graduate." Laughing, she leaned into his side. "Come on, fill me in on the awkward adolescent years."
Grinning, he walked her around the building, bypassing the school staff and the caterers and found an unlocked door to the main school building. "Most of the students should be in class right about now…" he mused, bringing her down a long corridor. "Okay, take your pick… We've got door rooms, trophy case, milestones and memories…" He twirled her around and then waved his arm for her to make her choice.
"Let's start with the trophy case," she said, walking toward the glass cabinet holding various sized tributes to the many alumni of Excelsior.
As she paused in front of it, eyes wandering plaques, oversized trophies, ribbons and pictures, she searched out his name and grinned as she found a bronzed arrow, the nameplate below it reading, All State Championships, 1996, Captain Oliver Queen. "Captain," she said aloud. "Why am I not surprised?"
His hands squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "This one might surprise you…" He motioned toward the ivory chess piece on the left-hand side.
"Was Chess ever cool?" she teased.
He laughed lightly. "The guys dared me… And I, of course, had to be the very best at everything I did." He lifted a shoulder. "Uncool or not."
He pointed himself out in the team pictures; a young, blonde, arrogant Oliver smirking at the camera from his seat next to a handful of others in the Archery Club and a few not-so-appreciative teammates in the Chess Club. He was also sitting alongside the Lacrosse Team, Language Club, Yearbook, and, like she'd expected, Drama. "Was there anything you didn't join?"
"Matheletes…" He frowned. "Despite my job, I just didn't care for numbers so much."
Shaking her head, she hooked her arm with his once more. "Okay, next on the list…"
He started walking her down the hall once more. "Well, that was my locker…" He motioned to #406 and brought her over. "If it's got the same combo… They never changed these things…" Reaching down, he flipped it around and within a couple seconds, had it open.
"Oliver!" she exclaimed under her breath. "Some sixteen year old kid owns it now."
"Yeah, and he takes much better care of it, too," he muttered. "Look, he alphabetizes his books… Who does that? Biology, Calculus, History, Spanish… I bet he even color-codes-" He nodded. "He does."
She scoffed. "Will you get outta there!" Trying to hide her amusement, she reached over to close the door.
Grinning, he simply shrugged. "All right, let's go check out my old dorm… On the way, if you're lucky, I'll show you the tree under I undid my first bra."
"Ahh, memories," she teased.
As they walked through the school toward the dormitories, he paused to point out the classroom in which a young female teacher hit on him, the wall in which he wrote OQ was here '96, the severely uncomfortable wooden chairs he had to sit in while waiting to speak to the principal about some mishap or another, and the graduation picture from his final year of him and all his classmates. When they quietly crept into the dormitory, Oliver felt like a teenager again, sneaking his girlfriend up to his room to make out.
"I know what you're thinking, Queen, and I'm not that kind of girl," Chloe murmured, laughing.
Finding the third floor, he listened for any students and brought her down to room #306B, picking the lock to let them in.
"Please tell me you aren't going to go through these kids things, too." She arched a brow at him before looking around the room. "Pretty big, I guess. Bigger than my room back home, but then I didn't have to share with anyone."
He nodded, hands tucked in his pockets. "Kid I was roomed with was pretty quiet, really big on his studies. Me, Alden and Geoff didn't hang around here much though, so it worked out." He looked around the room rather fondly. "I wonder…" He crossed to the closet, pulled the door open that still stuck a little each time, and smoothed his hand down the side, fingers searching out the familiar grooves. He grinned slowly. "Still here…"
"What is?" she wondered, walking over.
"Me and the guys used to carve our height into the doorway," he said, chuckling to himself. "We seemed to think if we hit the six foot mark, college girls would give us the time of day."
"You exceeded that," she said wryly, before leaning in to check just when he'd hit it. She followed the numbers as they rose, an O, G and A marking each boy. "Looks like Alden quit growing at 5'10, but Geoffrey made it… He was 6'2 by graduation… And you…" She smiled. "Ahead of your time. 6'3 by graduation, and a solid six feet by grade eleven…" Her brow lifted wonderingly. "Did it work?"
"Yes," he said, grinning. "But I think it had more to do with the Porsche than the extra few inches."
She pursed her lips. "I'm sure they saw more than the car."
"I was a catch," he joked.
The noise outside seemed to be getting louder and Oliver walked to look out the window, seeing many alumni's filling up the cobblestone courtyard. "We'll stop at the make-out tree and then head in." He grinned back at her, wiggling his brows suggestively.
"Yeah, well, sucks to be you, 'cause I'm not wearing a bra under this dress."
Chuckling, he wrapped an arm around her waist and directed her out the door. "Would've saved me a lot of time in high school if all girls were as loose as you."
Chloe slapped his chest playfully.
…
Amidst the crowd of chatting people, Lex Luthor stared up at the statue staring regally from atop Excelsior Academy, his arm raised, sword in hand. Lana approached him, smiling. "We had a stuffed crow at Smallville High." She tilted her head. "Different worlds, huh?"
"In this case," he said, turning away from the sight to face her, "I prefer yours." Taking her hand, they began walking, smiling to each other.
"If that's how you feel, why come to this thing?" she wondered.
"Well Lana, some of the deepest pockets in the country went to Excelsior. These alumni socials are good for business."
"Well, then let's be social so we can get the hell out of here," she told him, grinning.
He smiled.
"Can't say she has a bad idea there," called a voice.
They turned to see Alden and Geoffrey approaching, and Lex's face shuddered closed, eyes narrowing carefully.
"I've generally found that to be true," Lex replied slowly.
"Lex, it's been awhile," Geoffrey said, smiling.
Alden raised his glass in hello to Lana. "And yet not long enough," he muttered, knocking back his drink and taking another from a passing tray.
Lex glanced to his left. "Geoffrey, Alden, this is Lana Lang…"
"Hi," she greeted, shaking Geoffrey's hand and then retracting hers as Alden concentrated on his near empty glass.
"How's business?" Lex wondered.
Alden scoffed slightly. "Not as good as you, but, hey." He smirked, swaying slightly on his feet.
"Hey, have you guys seen Oliver?" Geoffrey said, glancing once at Alden with a look that clearly told him to behave better.
"Oliver's here?" Lex asked, frowning.
"Yeah, he said to meet him out front, but…" He waved his hand to show the thick crowd. "Kind of hard to find familiar faces now that they're all grown up."
"His is plastered all over Gossip America, so it's not like we won't recognize him…" Alden mused. "Even if he sucks at visiting."
"He's been busy…" Geoffrey shrugged understandingly. "We've all been."
"Yeah, vacationing in Borneo with the wife is at the top of my to-do list," he scoffed.
"He wasn't vacationing… He has business there."
"Wife?" Lex asked, brows furrowed. "I didn't know Oliver married."
Geoffrey half-smiled. "Not on paper, but..."
"Close enough… Chloe's got him tied around her little finger. They're probably shacking up under the make-out tree right now… Lucky bastard." As he lifted his glass once more, frowning as he realized it was empty, a hand appeared and took it away.
"And somebody thought an open bar was smart," Chloe scoffed, placing his glass on a passing tray. "How many me's do you see, Alden?" she wondered, shaking her head.
"Don't all of you talk at the same time," he joked.
Smiling, she reached up and kissed his cheek. "I brought some of your favorite coffee… I'm having someone brew it up, all right?" She lifted her brows meaningfully at him.
"You're too good to me…" He glanced at Oliver. "You lucked out, Oliver… She still doesn't know she can do better."
Oliver grinned. "I'm working on keeping it that way. Don't ruin it for me."
Chloe rolled her eyes and then focused on Geoffrey. "Hey you," she said, reaching over to hug him, kissing his cheek as well. "How's Gotham treating you?"
"Still as dark and dangerous as ever," he returned, shrugging.
"We'll have to visit." She hugged an arm around Oliver and then noticed the extra company. "Lex Luthor."
He gave a short nod in reply. "The aforementioned Chloe, I would take it…"
She stared at him a long, hard second and then looked to his left. "And you must be Lana… I'd suggest we give the boys a moment to assert their manliness but witnesses are probably needed."
Oliver grinned. "I think we all turned out okay, no need to bring out the rulers… Right?"
"I can only speak for myself," Lex drawled, smiling briefly at Lana.
Catching on to his discomfort and the wave of tension in the air, Lana looked between them all. "And you guys were all… friends?"
Lex gave a slight nod. "Something like that."
Oliver's jaw ticked, his grip on Chloe's waist tightening.
"Man, after 10 years…" Geoffrey looked awkwardly between them all. "Gang's all here."
Alden cocked a brow, smiling to himself, and grabbed another drink off a passing tray. "Except for Duncan."
Lex turned to look at him darkly.
"Where's that guy with your coffee?" Chloe muttered, looking around with her brows furrowed.
Confused, Lana looked up to Lex, wondering, "Who's Duncan?"
Oliver turned to his old friend seriously. "Know what? You really need to lay off, huh?" He took the drink from his hand.
Staring a little slack-jawed, swaying a bit on his feet, Alden said, "What? Like you weren't all thinking about-"
"Alden," Oliver snapped sternly.
As the crowd quieted, staring at him, he looked away. "Yeah, whatever." Stumbling forward, he smirked. "Good to see you, Lex…" He turned, looking Lana up and down. "You did all right for yourself." Walking away, he grabbed yet another drink and left them all behind.
Brow furrowed, Lex stared down at the ground in thought.
"Well, that's the last time we take him anywhere," Chloe said, half-smiling awkwardly.
Behind them, on the stairway platform overlooking the crowd, Alden smirked to himself. "Duncan, if you were here…" He waved his sloshing glass. "You'd still be a loser."
Above him, a heavy chunk of the building fell, crashing just to the right of his feet. Startled, he looked down at the mess of concrete that could've meant his death before raising his head to look above where the statue still sat firmly, a gasping crowd staring on with him.
Chloe, Oliver and Geoffrey ran over, worried. Geoffrey reached him first, touching his arm reassuringly before looking down at the shattered piece of concrete. Standing just behind him, Oliver held a hand to Chloe's stomach, keeping her back just in case. "You all right?" he asked Alden.
"Just missed me," he said, his eyes wide. Laughing incredulously, he said. "Must be my lucky day."
The sword from above suddenly twisted from its place, bounced off the siding and arched downwards, cutting through the air before slicing straight through Alden's chest cavity and throwing him to the ground where he cried out in pain before lying still and dead.
"Oh my-" Chloe grabbed Oliver's arm and drew him back, but even as he hugged her to his chest, covering her eyes from the sight, he couldn't help but stare down in shock. The crowd pushed in close, despite the possibility of more falling, enraptured by the dead man lying impaled before them. Not far from them, Lex stared on with a blood-spattered face.
…
Excelsior Academy, 1996
This was crazy. They were crazy. Stealing the mid-term answers had to be one of the best and worst ideas they'd ever had. While everybody was asleep in bed, Oliver, Alden and Geoffrey had made a plan. Why study when they could just cheat? They already knew where the tests were being kept; it was just a matter of getting to them.
"You realize if they catch us, we're toast, right?" Geoffrey sighed, leaning back in his chair.
Alden slapped his chest with the back of his hand. "So we don't get caught."
"Right, and saying it's gonna make it happen." He rolled his eyes.
"Look, we've got a plan," Oliver reminded. "One of us stands as lookout, the other two go in and search. We just have to get the timing right and things will fall into place."
Geoffrey wasn't so sure. "And if we do get caught?"
He smirked. "Sleepwalking."
While they all knew it wouldn't work, it effectively broke the tension, allowing them to laugh.
Minutes later, while Alden stood as lookout at the door, Oliver and Geoffrey searched filing cabinet after filing cabinet until they finally came up with what they were looking for. Staring down at the listed answers, Oliver felt adrenaline, relief, and that little bit of fear coursing through his veins.
"Hurry!" Alden called into them.
Slapping the answer sheets against Geoffrey's shoulder, they left the room quickly, grinning all the while. As they stepped out into the hallways, Alden demanded, "Did you get it?"
Triumphantly showing it to him, Oliver grinningly said, "I got it! Let's go."
Keeping pace with him, Alden shook his head. "Man, this is too cool…" He looked around and whisper-cheered, "Sweet, nobody saw us."
Geoffrey worriedly looked around as hurried behind them, but saw no one in the shadows.
Unbeknownst to them, Lex Luthor and Duncan Allenmeyer had seen them and it would be the beginning of the end.
…
Present
Night had fallen when Oliver, Chloe and Geoffrey left the emergency room. An ambulance drove past, sirens wailing, as they stepped off the curb.
Oliver was lost in thought, his brows furrowed, eyes set on the ground. Chloe looked worriedly from him to Geoffrey.
"Seeing somebody you laughed with, shared so many good times together," Geoffrey inhaled thickly. "Seeing him laid out on the table like that..." He turned back to look at them, frowning.
Her face fell, sighing. She hugged Oliver's suit jacket around her to keep out the cold and offered, "It feels inadequate, but I'm really sorry, Geoff. I know you guys were still close…"
He nodded jerkily.
"Y'know, Alden called me a month ago," Oliver said, looking away, jaw twitching. "He said he wanted to go out for a drink, and I, uh…" He scoffed at himself. "I told him I was busy. I said I'd catch up with him later."
Geoffrey nodded.
"Way I see it, we can't change this, so… We take it as what is it… All the more reason to live for today." He nodded firmly before reaching out to Oliver hopefully, squeezing his shoulder. "Keep in touch with old friends?"
Oliver nodded. "Yeah… Like Chloe was saying, we should come visit you in Gotham, y'know? Just… Look, we can both clear our schedules and catch up."
"Yeah… I'll have my people call your people."
Chloe shook her head. "Never mind leaving it with secretaries. You've got my number, we'll get together soon."
Geoffrey half-smiled. "Despite everything, it was good seeing you guys…" He accepted a hug from Chloe and then shook Oliver's hand. "Keep an eye on her… I plan to woo her away from your side as soon as I get the chance."
He cocked his head, grinning lightly to himself. "It'll be interesting to see you try."
Chuckling under his breath, Geoffrey nodded goodbye, winking once at Chloe before he walked off toward his limousine. The driver tossed his smoke behind him on the ground as he spotted Geoffrey and immediately moved over to open the door for him. Unbeknownst to them, a leak in the gas tank had it spilling, creeping slowly toward the lit cigarette.
Waving one last time to him, Oliver and Chloe began walking back toward their car.
"Maybe we should've played hookie," she murmured, chewing her lip.
He hugged her close to his side and shook his head. "No, I think finding out about this in the papers would've been even worse…"
Behind them, the gas reached the cigarette and fire ate it up, reaching inside the limousine and sending it rocketing off the pavement in an explosive array of flames. The sheer force toppled Oliver and Chloe, who fell forward against the street, turning over in shock to stare at the skeleton of the car, fire roaring all around from the inside out, the likelihood of its passengers living very small indeed.
Wide-eyed, Oliver stared, his chest heaving. Suddenly, the accident earlier didn't look so much like a fluke.
…
After dealing with more police and answering what seemed like an endless barrage of questions, Chloe finally convinced them that Oliver needed to get home, get some rest, and try and put the whole tragic event behind him. The ride home was nothing like it had been that morning; there was no music or dancing or reminiscing. It was dead silence and Chloe could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. One death, she might've been able to talk him through, but two within as many hours… She was still shocked herself. She hadn't known Alden or Geoffrey nearly as well as Oliver had, but over the years they'd spoken and shared meals and she'd gotten more than one good story out of them about her best friend's infamous Excelsior years, where rebellion ran deep.
He drove now with stoic reserve; his expression a mask she'd never had to really deal with. He was always open with her, honest, and so she never had to question what he was thinking or what he was going through. There were words she could say, she knew, but they all seemed so hollow. So instead, she reached for and took his hand. She held it tight even as it lay limp in her own. She traced his knuckles with her thumb, traced the various scars from arrows and life in general, until eventually he gave just a little, and he knotted his fingers with her own. She wouldn't push, wouldn't force, but she also wouldn't let him drown in a pit of despair. He had enough of that in his lifetime.
When they returned to Metropolis, the elevator finally reaching the penthouse, they each left for their separate rooms to dress for bed. Wearing his green robe, Chloe paused in the kitchen to warm some milk for him, rather than the hard liquor he might've preferred, and joined him in his bedroom. Dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, he lay on his back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, the loss weighing heavy on his expression alone. Placing the glass on the bedside table, she sat next to him, smoothed her hand across his face and felt the warm tear tracks that slid from his eyes down into his hair. His hand covered hers, squeezed, and his eyes fell closed, damp lashes meeting his cheeks, lids pushing out a few more salty beads of remorse.
"Oh Ollie…" she murmured.
His face screwed up then, chin quaking, and a choked sob rent the room. He pulled her in then, dragged her on top of him and held tight to her small frame. She wrapped her arms around him close, squeezed his bare shoulders, and rubbed her hands in soothing circles. He cried silently into her hair, his arms wrapped around her like bands of unrelenting steel, but she didn't mind. She tried to give him what physical comfort she could, ready to lay with him as long as it would take. His milk would go untended; leaving a ring on the table, ignored. Oliver wouldn't move, wouldn't say a word, he would simply hold her, eventually falling asleep with her still there, tucked into his body. And when his arms slackened and she was sure he had fallen asleep, she reached for the blanket, drew it up and tucked them in. Through two nightmares, she stayed at his side, soothing him back to sleep as he struggled with the recesses of his mind, with regrets that were showing. Falling into a fitful sleep of her own, she held him close and hoped desperately that this wouldn't break him too much.
…
The following morning, Chloe stood in the foyer office like a sentinel.
She circled the desk, readjusting her Bluetooth as she and Victor chatted. "No, I'm putting missions on hold for a little while…"
"Oliver was okay with that?" he said, skeptically.
She half-smiled. "Let's just say I didn't ask his opinion."
He didn't question her decision, instead wondering, "He's all right?"
"He's… Angry, mostly. At himself… At circumstances… At things he can't change." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "When things calm down, I wanna bring the team in, cheer him up."
"Sounds good. Bart's skipping around, doing his thing, but he said to give him a ring when he was needed. AC's spent most of his time at the harbor, hanging with the local ocean-life."
"And you?" Her brow puckered. "We haven't had much time to catch up lately."
"I'm taking care of day-to-day work… Queen Industries has been getting a lot of my attention lately, and y'know, I'm enjoying it."
She grinned. "Yeah, well, they're lucky to have you… I know the Communications department was having some trouble with their international servers… Did you get a chance to look at it?"
"I did. It was an easy fix, something minor; it happens. Right now, I'm looking at the weapons department. You think Oliver would mind if I put a few more people on in there? They're being run ragged."
"Fax me over the charts and the employee lists and I'll see what I can do," she offered.
"All right, good." He sighed to himself. "How are things outside of work? I know you and Ollie have been hitting the social scene lately, getting a line on Luthor and a few other moneybags…"
"Did you know caviar is not one of their main food groups?" she mused. "Myth busted."
He chuckled warmly. "You know AC would've never let that one go, right?"
"Yes," She half-rolled her eyes in light amusement, "I've been warned I should just remove fish and all related foods from my menu altogether…"
"Good idea… Not one Bart's taking to heart, but the kid'll do anything to get under AC's skin, so…"
There was a noise in the background then and Victor sighed. "I'm sorry, Chlo, I gotta go. We've got another glitch to take care of… Keep me updated though, and let Oliver know we're with him in spirit."
"Okay. Thanks, Vic."
As they hung up, Chloe heard the elevator reach the top floor. Brows furrowed, she reached over for the phone and dialed out to Oliver's assistant. "Sarah, I thought I cancelled all of today's meetings."
"You did, Miss. Sullivan. We've been receiving calls all day in regards to Mr. Queen's response to the, um, deaths of his friends but I've been fielding them." She paused. "Is there a problem? Should I call security?"
"Just gimme a second…" Putting her on hold, she pulled up the elevator feed to find Clark Kent staring back at her and frowned. Pushing the hold button, she returned to Sarah. "It's all right. It's a friend. And Sarah, you can take the rest of the day off, all right? Let the machine get the rest of the calls and pack it in early."
"Thank you, Miss. Sullivan," she said, relief evident. "And… Please, give my condolences to Mr. Queen."
"I will… Have a good weekend."
"You too."
After they hung up, Chloe pressed the button to release the lock on the elevator and walked over to meet their visitor. She imagined if Clark had wanted, and with the powers she was aware of, he could've made his way into the tower without her knowledge and wouldn't have to bother with pleasantries or knocking, but she appreciated the effort. As the steel door opened, she stared rather surprised at the man; she didn't imagine he knew anything about Alden or Geoffrey, so she was a little confused regarding the visit. They'd told him to come by in regards to their team offer, of course, but he didn't strike her as the type to make up his mind very quick and it had only been a week since the suggestion was put out there.
"Clark," Chloe greeted. She glanced back, thinking of Oliver, and frowned. "Look, now's really not a good time..."
"I need to talk to Oliver… or you." He frowned. "Whoever handles the satellites..."
Her brows furrowed. "Much as I'd like to help, Oliver's not up for visitors."
Frowning, he walked out of the elevator. "This is important."
Hands on her hips, she turned toward him sternly. "I'm sure it is… to you. But right now, he's angry and grieving. So I really don't care if it's a matter of national security. You're not seeing-"
As air kicked up and he disappeared from sight, Chloe growled to herself, "Not. Cool."
Clark found Oliver in his practice room, firing arrows at a hole-mottled target. With lulling music playing in the background, Oliver raised his bow, aimed, closed his eyes and calmed himself before releasing the arrow and waiting for the subsequent thwack of it hitting its designated spot. When it never came, his eyes shot open, only to find Clark Kent holding the arrow just short of the target.
"Clark," he said, not exactly thrilled to see the man. "Chloe's been doing a fair job of keeping people out; I'm surprised you got past her…" He half-smiled. "She can be a hellion when she wants to."
Playing aimlessly with the arrow, he lifted a shoulder. "At barely five feet, I think I could take her."
Oliver's mouth tilted in a smirk. "Maybe with your powers…" He arched a brow. "She packs a punch though… One very few see coming."
Clark walked down the stairs of the platform, carrying the arrow in his hands.
"It's okay," Oliver told him. "You know what? You can keep that arrow. I've got a new one." He reached for the box on his desk and flipped the lid open, drawing one of two arrows from their holders. "I was thinking about developing a boxing-glove arrow and then I thought, 'Come up with something a little fancier…'" Placing it in its holder, he raised his bow, drew back on the string, checked his measurements, and then slid it just a few inches to the right before releasing it. As it slammed into its intended target, a blue light crackled out across the walls and everything in its path.
Clark looked around interestedly, his brows raised and then fell as he tried to understand what it meant.
"Contained Electromagnetic Pulse - knocks out everything electrical within an 8-foot radius," Oliver explained, lowering his bow to lean against his chest. "Cameras, laser systems, pacemakers." At his startled expression, he added, "That last one was a joke, Clark."
Clark simply stared. "I'm laughing on the inside."
He grinned. "Maybe we'll get lucky one day and it'll bubble to the surface…" He cocked a brow. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I need to talk to you about Queen Industries, their satellite grid…" he said, walking toward him.
Oliver nodded shortly. "What about it?"
"There are…" He inhaled deeply. "Important images that I need to see…" His eyes darted away. "It's hard to explain and to be honest, I'd rather not."
Lips pursed, he nodded to himself. "Ever heard of quid pro quo, Boyscout?" At Clark's droll face, he offered, "Tit for tat? Give and take? Back-scratching?" He blinked. "No… Okay, well, look… You're Han Solo, we get that, but… I work as a team and in my team, information is shared not horded."
He frowned. "This information doesn't affect you or your team, Oliver."
Eyes narrowing, he stared at him a moment. "And how am I supposed to know that without first seeing the footage?"
"You'll have to trust me."
"Trust you…" His lips tweaked in a smile. "What d'you think, Sunshine? Should we trust him?" he called out a little louder.
Clark whirled as Chloe's voice answered, "Hm, he has atrocious manners… It doesn't bode well." Brow raised at the farmboy, she crossed to stand next to Oliver, a united front. Head cocked, she surveyed him up and down. "Then again… His moral compass is so much more precise than ours…"
Oliver half-grinned.
Clark sighed. "If you won't help, just say so… I'll find another way."
"Ah, but you won't," he replied rather smugly. "Since our satellites were the only ones working."
Clark's eyes narrowed. "Now, how'd you manage that?"
"It's a trade secret." He clucked his tongue. "Tell you what, I'll give the access codes if you do one small thing for me…"
Chloe looked up to him, lips pursed.
He laughed shortly. "What would that be?" Clark asked, rather expecting the worst.
"Help us figure out how Lex caused the accidental death of two of my friends."
Clark sobered. "You think Lex killed them?"
In a voice filled with foreboding, he replied, "I've known Lex a lot longer than you, Clark… I've seen who he really is."
It was obvious then, by his expression alone, that Clark agreed.
…
After Clark left, Chloe turned around to face her friend. "What are you doing?" she asked, point-blank.
"What? Like a little help won't come in handy?" he replied shortly, turning his back to her as he went through his arrows once more, checking each of the tips before making a choice. "We want Clark to learn the meaning of team, we have to show him one first."
"Oliver…" She crossed the room to him, reaching out for his arms and forcing him to look at her. "I know you're hurting and I know that things are really hard and confusing right now… But we have no evidence to suggest that Lex was behind this." She sighed. "The variables alone are just too much… How could he know Alden would be standing beneath the statue? How could he make it so that the sword would hit him just right?" She shook her head. "And Geoffrey's car was a gas leak… Lex would have to know the driver's smoking habits and rely on them to set off the fire. A car bomb, I could see, but leaving it up to chance?" She shook her head.
"They did not die because of fluke accidents," he replied firmly, staring into her eyes. "I need you to trust me on this."
She sighed, her eyes falling. "I do. I always trust you. But Oliver… The last 24 hours have been traumatic, to say the least. And now you're chasing after a very big enemy with a guy you barely know. A guy who was once best friends with Lex Luthor…" She stared at him searchingly. "I don't want to put stock in a person who's only helping us so he can help himself…"
"Clark Kent knows Lex… His mother is friends with Lionel… There's a chance he'll get the kind of information we need; information that proves Lex had a hand in this." His jaw ticked. "And maybe it's a test for Clark, too. Let's see where his loyalties lie."
Worried, her brow knotted. "You're sure you can handle this?"
He smirked at her, but there was little humor or amusement in it. "I've still got you… I can handle anything."
She wanted to believe that, but she wasn't so sure.
[Continued in Part II.]