Notbroken (8/12)
Title: Notbroken
Summary: Two years after the events in "Calendar Girl," Chloe finds herself days from beginning her final year at SCU when Oliver suddenly returns to Star City. But between balancing her ambitions, school, and her investigative tendencies towards the new vigilantes in town, Chloe finds herself struggling to choose the life she wants.
Rating: PG-13 (subject to change)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a couple original characters. The title/lyrics are from a song of the same name by Goo Goo Dolls.
Warning: I sample from seasons 8-9, so there are spoilers, but this story is very much an alt-verse.
Thanks to: tehzo for the amazing banner and slytherinpunk for being my beta/sanity maintainer.
August September October November December January February
March
And I get like you,
I'm alone and confused
March 3
Opening the door to his penthouse, Oliver wanted nothing more than to do just crash on the couch and forget the day. Even though it was technically his night to patrol, the streets would just have to wait.
Most nights, he bid adieu to Lauren at 6, her following close behind as he took off for home, but tonight he didn't get a chance to leave until 10, and he had to pry his assistant from the phone to get her to leave. Then again, that's what happens when your ex turns into a business rival. Luthorcorp stock's future wasn't certain, as it rose and dove all day, but the world took an interesting stance on Tess' emergence as CEO. A stance that required every paper, legit or tabloid, calling his office wanting his opinion. They all got the same answer, a formulated statement he determined once he was able to digest the idea that he'd being seeing Tess more often. She was a mistake that he wished he would have handled better, and life seemed intent on reminding him of that fact.
He poured himself a glass of scotch and settled on the couch. The first sip felt good as it burned down his throat, but it had been such a long day that he didn't even hear someone approaching him from behind.
"That bad, huh?"
Oliver's head whirled around to find Chloe behind the couch. His eyes then found his glass again, which he settled down on the table. "Not really... just a long day."
Chloe analyzed his expression and realized that being here was a bad idea. "I should probably go then... I just... I wanted to see that you were doing okay."
"No, don't go. I could use the company right now."
She did stop walking, but only to turn her head slightly. "No offence, but I'm not exactly a fan of yours when you drink like this."
"Then I'll stop," Oliver said as he pushed his glass further away. "Please?"
Chloe shook her head as she went to sit next to him on the couch. "I thought you were over Tess."
"I am... it's more about the shock of the direction she chose. She could have done anything... and she chooses Luthorcorp? Maybe if I treated her better, if I was..." He looked over at Chloe and realized there was no way he could finish that sentence, so he bowed his head instead.
"Ollie, there's nothing that you could have done."
"You can't seriously mean that."
"It's her life, therefore it's her decision. No matter what her reason was, she's still the CEO now."
Looking back, he raised an eyebrow upon seeing a light on in the hallway. "How long have you been here?"
"Since seven... I think. I should have called, but the bright side is that I was able to get some schoolwork done."
"How are classes?"
"Good... they're good."
"Good," Oliver replied. They both sat there for a minute until Chloe's stomach gurgled, causing Oliver to let out a chuckle. "You hungry?"
Chloe knew that there was no point in lying to him. "Besides coffee, I haven't eaten since lunch, so yeah."
What she didn't tell him was that she had held off eating because she was worried about him. The last time they went this long without talking wasn't the brightest moment in their friendship and seeing the scotch bottle out again didn't help matters. However, he seemed to be okay, just a little shaken up, but what she didn't expect was for Oliver to get up from the couch, only to turn around to hold his hand out to her.
Chloe just raised an eyebrow in his direction, his smile grew as he gestured her to get up. "C'mon."
Initially, her expression didn't change as Chloe was suspicious of what was going on, but she eventually caved and accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her off the couch. He started to lead her towards the door, so Chloe's curiosity got the best of her. "What exactly are we..."
Oliver interrupted her, "I don't know about you, but I'm way too tired to cook. I know a great pizza place that's open late and then I figured we could catch the midnight movie." He paused as he released her hand. "Unless you had other plans."
"Nope, I just have to grab my things... do you mind?"
He shook his head, so Chloe headed back to grab her books, which sat on the surface on the desk. If she had to be honest, it felt odd for her to sit at the desk again, especially for non-company related purposes for her, but after a while, she began to feel that sense of familiarity again. It reminded her of the hours she spent, the dedication that she put in the company, a passion that she was starting to see in Oliver again, which oddly included tonight.
She had seen him drinking over Tess before, in fact, she shuddered over the memory because that wasn't Oliver, not even close. No matter how much he pretended to have the bad boy persona, that was the closest Chloe had ever come to seeing it. He was broken, and while it took all of her strength to bring him back, tonight showed further that he was back.
Her bag full of books, she gave the room a single smile before turning off the light. Chloe headed down the hallway, ready for their impromptu plans when she saw Oliver staring at his glass in the kitchen. Stunned, she stutter-stepped back, hiding as she leaned her head against the wall, praying that she hadn't got her hopes up her nothing. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out her next move when she got her answer. Standing up straight again, she came out and watched as Oliver rinsed out the now-empty glass.
"I figured that I wouldn't be needing that anymore," he stated softly, but loud enough that Chloe could hear him. "Last thing I need is a DUI, right?"
Before, scotch was his reliable refuge, the drink that could fix anything, but Chloe had pointed out what he became when he drank when he wanted to fix anything, and she didn't like that person. Then again, when he thought about it, neither did he.
So as he picked up the glass on the table, he realized that, no matter the price of the bottle, all the alcohol was doing was giving him a cheap release, and it wasn't worth losing what really mattered for that. In the end, he didn't even need to sense her nearby to pour it down the sink, but it made the decision that much easier.
Chloe bit her lip, trying to hide the smile on her lips before looking back at him. "So where are we going?"
Oliver chuckled as he put his arms through his coat, waiting until straightened it out and zipped it up before he addressed her questions. "That would require ruining the surprise, and I'm not going to do that."
Chloe began to walk through the kitchen, glaring up at Oliver as she stopped beside him. "I hate surprises, you know that."
After turning around, Oliver put his arm around Chloe's shoulders. "Which is exactly why I love surprising you."
That comment caused Chloe to glare at him again, right before she rolled her eyes and shook off his arm. "You do, don't you?"
"Keeps life interesting... or at least, that's how I see it."
Chloe shook her head as she headed for the door. "Alright, you win... but only because I'm starving."
March 14
It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be heading home to hit the pillow, not letting her curiosity get the best of her, resulting in her entering an alley late at night. The bloody knife had made her nervous, but in comparison, nothing could have prepared Chloe for the sight in front of her.
She was frozen to her spot, initially refusing to believe what she was seeing. When she saw the two guys exiting this alley, yelling at each other, What did you do?, the last thing she expected to see was Oliver, or Green Arrow rather, lying on the ground, bleeding out. After everything she read, after everything she had seen firsthand, Chloe couldn't believe that he would let himself get hurt this way.
Stupid surprises, she thought.
Still from a distance, she heard him coughing, and watched him turn his head to the side. Holding his side, he tried to get up, but they both knew it would be pointless. As his body and subsequently his head hit the pavement again, Chloe finally shook out of her shock and sprung into action. Within seconds, she had taken off her jacket and placed it over the wound as she knelt down next to him. The night was cold, but Chloe didn't feel the chill on her arms because it didn't matter. At this point, a little cold was nothing if it kept him alive.
Once she established a firm grip on her coat, she stared straight into his glasses, hoping that he could see her. "Come on, stay with me O- Arrow."
No response, not that it surprised her, but Chloe had to hope that he was okay, no matter how bad it looked. However, she knew that no matter how much pressure she put on the wound, she had no way to bring him to the hospital, so she lifted her hands and grabbed her phone to call the fastest person she knew.
When he picked up, Chloe didn't waste any time on greetings. "Clark, I need you, I don't care how long it takes but please come."
She hung up right away, hoping Clark would get the idea. As she turned her head to return her phone to her purse, she felt a draft, so her eyes immediately came back to the place where Oliver had been lying, but he wasn't there anymore. The only evidence he had been there was the pool on blood on the pavement and her blood-soaked coat. Chloe stood up quickly, and was about to call Clark again when he whooshed in front of her.
Seeing his face allowed Chloe to relax for the moment as she breathed a sigh of relief. "You're getting faster. Please tell me that you didn't deliver him to the hospital in his leathers."
Clark raised an eyebrow. "What?"
His shock caught Chloe off-guard, but before she said anything, she was reminded of what Victor had told her about the guy they were trying to recruit.
"He's not exactly up for chit-chat and we can't stop him from getting away."
"Red blur... just like Clark…."
"That wasn't you," she stated bluntly. While she had her answer on who had taken Oliver, it didn't make her any calmer. Chloe still had no idea if Oliver had been taken to the hospital because for all she knew, he was responsible.
Clark shook his head. "Saw a red blur on my way here... did he...?"
"I don't know." She felt close to panicking again, but she maintained her strength as she pulled out her phone again and dialled. "Please pick up."
~0~
Victor began working the computers, waiting for Chloe and Clark to walk into the room. Sure, it might not have been protocol to let outsiders into their headquarters, but even if they weren't trustworthy, he owed them both.
"Please tell me that you found something," Chloe said as she stood beside him. "I'll take anything at this point."
Victor shook his head. "He covers his tracks well; most of the cameras had been altered."
"You're kidding me, right? There's no way he's that fast." She pushed Victor aside and began working the keyboards, searching for any signs or clues based on the cameras views on the screen. "Come on Oliver, where are you?" she whispered as she kept looking over everything. It got to the point where she was so engrossed on the monitors that she didn't hear her phone buzzing until Victor put a hand on her shoulder.
"Chloe, you should answer that... let me handle this." When she didn't respond, Victor insisted, "Please."
"Fine, I won't be long."
Watching her walk away, Victor continued to go through all possible views, even though he knew that it was unlikely he'd find anything. Regardless, it only took Clark seconds to ask, "Can this guy be trusted?"
"I -"
Chloe interrupted him. "Clark... Star City General Hospital... now!"
March 15
Bursting through the doors, Chloe walked up to the women at the receptionist desk, demanding to see Oliver. It took a couple minutes for the receptionist to get a word in, but when she did eventually explain to Chloe what happened, it didn't matter to her that his alter ego was still a secret, all she wanted was to see him. But she would have to wait; he was in surgery and no amount of money she or Oliver had would allow her inside that room.
~0~
It had been three long hours, and although Clark had called Lois, telling her of what was going on, Chloe insisted that she stayed at the hospital alone because she wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Sure, Lois knew about Clark, but Oliver had been the figure of most of her recent articles and as much she trusted her cousin, Chloe didn't want to risk revealing anything while she was emotionally unstable.
In fact, it was because of this instability that she wanted to be alone. She knew Oliver was going to be okay, he had to be, but that didn't stop her from being afraid that she was going to lose him... again.
A doctor came by her side and told her that she could see him in the room now. He guided her down the hallway, and stopped in front of the room to pull open the door.
One of the perks to the Queen name is that Oliver had his own personal room, so the only thing Chloe could see was him unconscious on his bed, the only sound, the irritating IV that did nothing to calm her nerves.
Likely sensing her agitation, the doctor said, "He lost a lot of blood Miss Sullivan, but he should be okay. He just needs rest."
"Thank you, Dr. Hamilton." Chloe replied as she stepped past him and into the room.
There was a single chair next to the bed, so she sat down in it and was shocked when she felt a cool liquid hit her hand. Behind all of her fear, Chloe didn't even realize that she had been crying, but seeing him like this only reminded her that she had found him lying helpless in the alley, and she couldn't do anything, she couldn't even move.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she pushed the chair as close to him as possible and reached out to grab one of his hands. Grazing the top of it with the tips of the fingers, she noticed the blisters along with the healing cuts and scrapes. It was the hand of a man that worked hard, even though most of the city figured he was just a spoiled CEO.
Chloe found herself squeezing his hand as she pushed back the re-emerging tears before looking back up at his face. "You've come so far, you've fought so hard." Lowering her head, she kissed his hand before resting her forehead against it. "Keep breathing, please... you can't...I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."
~0~
Feeling the pain in his side, Oliver opened his eyes slowly to find a hand encased in his. He looked up slightly and saw Chloe's head lying face-down on the side of the bed. With a small smile, he lifted his other hand and smoothed it through her hair. Sure, being stabbed wasn't exactly his idea of an ideal patrol, but even if it sounded selfish, it was nice to wake up to her by his side.
Chloe had felt Oliver's touch, so she opened her eyes, surprised she had even slept through all that. She tried to sniffle quietly and subtly rubbed her eyes to ensure no signs of tears before bringing her head up to see him smiling at her. "Welcome back."
"How long was I out?"
Chloe's gaze went to the clock on the wall. "Eight hours, give or take."
Noticing the state of Chloe's appearance, Oliver asked, "How much of that did you sleep?"
"Enough," Chloe said with a poker face. She knew that there was no way she got more than a couple of hours, but she wanted to be up when he came to, even if that didn't work.
"I'm sorry to have worried you so much."
"You better be," she whispered, even though she knew he could hear it.
Oliver stared at the door and then down at himself. There was still one lingering question on his mind. "Did anyone happen to mention how I got here?"
Chloe hated the idea of lying to him, but she didn't have the truth to tell him, all she had was the story that the receptionist told her. "Apparently, a Good Samaritan found you lying in the street by your car and drove you here. I checked...he never left his name."
Oliver nodded, and Chloe knew that he would be looking it up with Victor later, but she knew that he had no more answers. Chloe had told Victor to notify her if anything popped, but the lack of notification on her phone showed that wasn't the case.
But when she glanced up again, she noticed Oliver was attempting to sit up, despite wincing at every movement he made. Jumping to her feet, Chloe shot her arms out to his shoulders to hold him in place. "Are you stupid Oliver? You're hurt."
"It's not that bad," he said, still trying to move up, but Chloe wasn't having any of it.
"Stop Ollie, this is serious. Just...please."
Her green eyes flickered up to meet his brown ones to show her how serious she was, but instead she found her resolve wavering. Terrified of what she might do if she stayed there, she backed away. "I'm going to get coffee, don't do anything crazy while I'm gone, okay?"
He nodded before saying, "Got it." At this point, he didn't want to upset her more than he already had.
Chloe grinned at him before closing the door behind her. After exhaling, she rotated to lean against the wall and soon found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror across the hall.
She looked terrible, her lipstick was smudged, mascara stains on her face, and hair dishevelled from attempting to sleep with her head on the hospital bed. But that was nothing in comparison to how she felt inside. Fixing her appearance, Chloe hoped that she could fix her emotions that easy, because the days went by, Chloe was getting worse at lying to him, and herself.
March 20
Exiting his car, Oliver wondered if he was doing the right thing. Sure, it was a little late to second guess his trip to Smallville, but Oliver couldn't shake the feeling that he should let this go, even if this hunch had been eating away at him since being discharged from the hospital. All that time, something didn't add up and he wanted to know for sure what he heard seconds before he fell unconscious. He had Victor do a little work, and all signs led here.
On paper, it made a lot of sense, but before Oliver had some proof to go by, it was easy to chalk up the strength to farm chores. Of course, even if Oliver go the confirmation he wanted, that only added questions to what exactly was going on, but those answers would have to wait for another day. At this point, he wasn't going to ask Clark more than he had to, and if nothing else, Clark deserved the truth. So as he stood in the doorway of the barn, Oliver cleared his throat, waiting for the younger man to notice him.
It didn't take long, as Clark looked up and said, "Oliver," with widened eyes. He cleared his throat before turning his back to Oliver. "Can't say I expected you to be here."
"Neither..." Oliver said as he looked back to the driveway, "...especially with the car with a cold hood in the drive-way and the fact you're here on a school day."
"Can I help you?"
Ease into it, Oliver thought, hoping Clark would be more forward to disclose his secret if Oliver started with his own alter ego. "I know you know my secret, and I'm okay with that because Chloe trusts you."
Clark let out a muffled chuckle as he continued to keep his back to Oliver. "I think you might have hit your head a little harder than you thought."
Oliver ignored his comment and continued to press ahead, "You could do so much more Clark. I'm sorry about your dad and I can only imagine what this place means to you, but..."
Clark dropped the hay bale and finally turned around, staring down the older man. "What do you want?"
There were so many things Oliver wanted to know, but he blurted the first thing he thought. "Does Chloe know? About me, I mean."
Clark shook his head, in an attempt to shrug it off. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Having enough, Oliver walked into the barn and cut off Clark's path. "Don't play with me Clark, I know she called you because your name was the last thing I heard before my world went black." Clark tried to avoid him, but Oliver caught his arm to hold him back momentarily. "And why would she call her friend in Smallville to help me as I bled in an alley unless he had an efficient way of getting there?"
Clark stood there wordlessly, so Oliver added, "I did my research Clark... I know you're the Blur, and I wanted you to know that your secret is safe with me."
Clark's expression didn't change as he stared back, but eventually he said, "Good," before continuing his work.
"So I suppose I owe you for dropping me off at the hospital?"
"You would... except someone beat me to it. Any ideas on who?"
"I'm looking into it," was all Oliver could say. That narrowed down the suspects to one, but Victor was still coming up empty-handed on their mysterious red blur. However, now having the infamous Blur right in front of him, Oliver knew it was likely pointless, but he still wanted to offer him a chance. "Look Clark, I have a team. We..."
"I know what you do. I'm not interested."
"I thought you'd say something like that." Oliver bowed his head as he scuffed the top of his shoe on the floor of the barn. "I don't suppose I could ask you a favour."
"Depends on what it is."
"If Chloe... no... when Chloe comes back to Metropolis, can you...?" Oliver looked up, almost lost at what to say.
Fortunately, for the first time since acknowledging Oliver's presence, Clark managed a smile and replied simply, "She's my best friend... I'd look after her regardless."
"Of course," Oliver replied as he scratched the back of his neck. "I knew that." He looked up one more time and then turned to leave the barn. "See you around, Clark."
~0~
Upon hearing the knock on the door of his office, Oliver brought his head up. What he wasn't expecting was the person who was standing on the doorway. "Tess."
"Oliver," Tess replied as she stepped into the office, "I heard you were in Kansas."
He shuffled some papers, doing anything to avoid eye contact. Just because he was in Metropolis didn't mean that he was ever wanted to meet up with his ex. Although from her expression, she looked as happy to see him as he did her. "Just looking over proceedings here. I figured it was important to look over all facets of my company."
"In that case, I have a business proposition for you."
Oliver's head jerked back as Tess slammed a folder onto his desk in an attempt to get his attention. He scoffed at her as he took a step back. "Why? We're not exactly on the same side are we, Tess?"
"That's what I was hoping to change, professionally-wise, I mean. Lex has been playing me, and I want to show that I'm not his little puppet. As much as I hate being here, you're the only one I can come to."
"So not even you buy that he's dead."
Tess crossed her arms as she looked away. "What I think isn't important right now. Oliver, our numbers are plummeting and the way I see it, it would be quite the humanitarian effort for Queen Industries if we merge."
"Excuse me?"
"You're a lot of things Oliver, but you're not deaf," Tess said as she glared at him. "I think you heard me loud and clear."
He did, but that didn't mean that he understood her offer. Oliver always figured with her new position that she would do everything in her power to avoid him, yet here she was, offering the opposite. "Considering our past, do you really think...?"
"We don't have a past Oliver," Tess said sharply. "As far as I'm concerned, we went our separate ways once we reached land. All I'm looking for is your business, nothing more. "
While maintaining eye contact, he picked up the folder and tapped it against the desk. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask," were Tess' final words before she turned around and left, leaving Oliver wondering what had just happened that she was coming to him for help.
March 23
Stepping out of the elevator, Evie stopped at the door, knocking a few times before backing away. Dropping one of her bags to the floor, she started wringing her hair out, trying to get rid of the rain it had caught on her way here. Immediately regretting it, she took off her coat and attempted to soak up the mess she just made in the doorway, but because her coat was so wet, it only spread it further.
Giving up, she looked up once she heard the door open. Seeing Oliver's eyes widen upon seeing her, Evie bolted up, her coat still on the floor. "I'm sorry Oliver... I... I didn't know where else to go."
"Evie, you're soaked."
She let out a sarcastic chuckle. "The beauty of rain."
"Not funny."
"I know. My cab got a flat a block before your place... figured I'd walk."
Seeing her let out a repressed shiver, Oliver practically dragged her into the penthouse. "Well, go get freshened up, I'll bring your bags in... there should be a robe in the bathroom."
Evie got to the hallway before turning back to face him. "Oliver..."
He smiled at her. "No need to thank me, just get warm."
She smiled back and continued to head to the bathroom, grateful that she could strip herself of her wet clothes the moment she locked the door behind her. To her, they were just another weight to bear atop of everything she was feeling right now, and she wanted nothing more than for that to go away.
The warm water washing over her skin initially helped, but soon enough, she started replaying the moment in her head, the look on his face when he told her it was over, the civilized talk they had at their kitchen table and then her wheeling out her luggage to the car as he drove her to the airport.
Evie didn't want to say goodbye, part of her wanted to fight for him, but in a weird way, it was probably best. He thought she didn't trust him, and there was nothing she could say to change his mind, not without risking much more.
A cold draft hit her as she turned off the tap, so she quickly found a towel to dry herself off. Peering up in the mirror, her reflection showed off the cascade of tears that had finally left her eyes. The entire flight from Detroit to Star City, she had held back, trying to keep her strength, but it appeared that had been all used up. Looking for relief of any kind, Evie sniffled as she grabbed the robe, grateful for its softness against her body.
After taking the proper amount of time to allow her eyes to recover, Evie exited the bathroom, but soon stopped upon seeing Oliver bringing her bag into the bedroom.
"I figured you'd be more comfortable in your own clothes," he said as he dropped it near the bed. "You can have your pick."
He turned to leave while Evie approached her bag. Looking up at him as he stood at the doorway, Evie mouthed Thanks, still not trusting her voice at this point.
Oliver tried to smile back, but he could see the cracks in her armour. Whenever he saw Evie, she had this quiet strength that allowed her to keep everyone around her happy, or if nothing else, sane. But that was gone. Despite her attempt to hide everything, he had heard her crying in the shower and based on the number of bags, there was only one explanation.
So he returned to the kitchen to check on the coffee pot, which was the only thing he felt that he could offer her, other than the place to crash. He grabbed a mug and started to pour, figuring that it would only be a matter of time before she came back. Sure enough, by the time he returned the pot to its holder, Evie had come into the kitchen.
Clothes-wise, she had settled on a red t-shirt and an old pair of jeans. She swallowed as she looked at Oliver, probably still struggling to find words, so he held out the mug. "Here," he said, figuring that the less he said, the better.
Evie took a couple steps forward and grabbed the mug. A smile crept onto her lips as she smelt it, and it grew momentarily as she sipped it. But as the memories came back, she set the cup down on the counter and then turned to lean against it. Taking a deep breath, Evie finally found the courage to say, "Scott and I broke up."
"I figured out that much," Oliver said as he moved to stand next to her, "but I can't believe that he kicked you out."
"He didn't, that was my idea. I've been out of work for two months and I didn't want to inconvenience him." Evie shrugged before pushing herself away from the counter. "I guess I could have stayed, but I figured that I was coming for Chloe's birthday anyway, so..."
"You're welcome here... as long as you want."
Even though it was what she wanted to hear, Evie couldn't help but feel a little guilty because she essentially forced him into that position. "I don't want to be a burden."
Oliver walked around her so he could say his next words to her face. "You're not."
"Then I'll just take the pull-out in the office or the couch." Oliver opened his mouth to protest, but Evie stopped him. "I'm the guest, and I don't mind."
"Okay, it's all yours."
Stopping in the doorway of the kitchen, Evie lowered her head and said, "Really Oliver… thank you."
Oliver wanted to say so much, because for everything he knew about her, for how close they had become since her visit in January, he knew there was something missing. But this wasn't the time to address it, she was hurting, which meant that he had to let it be for now. So he let her walk to the office and close the door before heading down the hallway.
"Goodnight," he whispered as he headed for his bedroom, hoping for a better morning to come.
March 25
"Surprise!"
Chloe looked around Lazee's and couldn't help but roll her eyes upon seeing most of her friends from her Journal days, new and old, Lois and Oliver standing in Lazee's for her birthday. Locking eyes with Oliver, she said, "Re-gifting Oliver? Really?"
He wrapped his arms around her momentarily and whispered, "Except this time I'm actually here."
"That you are," she said with a chuckle, but her expression changed as she noticed a familiar face as Oliver backed away. "Evie!"
"Hey Chloe, happy birthday."
Chloe rushed over to hug her friend. "You made it."
It took Evie a second to raise her arms, but she relaxed her head against Chloe's shoulder and said, "Wouldn't miss it for the world, roomie."
~0~
As time went by, Chloe couldn't keep her smile off her face. Not only was the coffee sampling similar to a dream coming true, it was nice to catch up with everyone that had graduated. Furthermore, it took her mind off of everything that was going on, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case for everyone. Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe saw Evie sitting alone at a table, swirling at a coffee cup. She had been there for Chloe for everything, and she decided that it was her turn to help Evie, especially once Oliver filled her in.
So she approached the table and sat down, ready to talk. "Oliver told me what happened with Scott."
Evie sighed as she downed the coffee in her mug. "I don't mean to be a downer... sorry."
"You're not, trust me. So are you planning on staying at the penthouse?"
"That doesn't bother you, does it?" Evie regretted the question the moment she said it, even Chloe appeared to have no reaction to it. "It's just for now... I have every intention of looking for my own place."
"How do you feel about Kansas?"
"Why?"
"I got an internship there and it'd be nice to have a roommate when I moved back." That honestly hadn't been the plan, but considering everything that had happened, Chloe hoped it would help her. That, and she missed having Evie around.
"You got in at the Planet?" Evie said with widened eyes waiting for Chloe to nod. "I honestly didn't think with..."
Chloe shrugged. "Neither did I, but I'm in."
"Well...congratulations."
"Thanks."
Evie peered around the room before saying, "You're whispering, so I take it that this is new."
"You're the only person I've told so far. I haven't..." Chloe's voice trailed as she looked towards the general direction of the party. She hadn't exactly figured out how to tell Lois, especially considering the fact that she knew Clark got in with the Planet too, but the really tricky one was Oliver. "You're the only one I figured I could just blurt it out too."
Unfortunately for Chloe, Evie saw right through her attempt to hide what she was really afraid of. "Meaning you don't know what you're going to tell him yet, right?"
"It's not like that."
"Come on Chloe, we both know the Planet was your dream, but we both know you didn't imagine that you'd be working for Tess. Besides, Lois mentioned that the Register offered you a job."
"I just... I can't stay here," Chloe said calmly, her eyes still on Oliver.
Crap, Evie thought as she analyzed Chloe's defeatist expression, she knows. Evie tapped her fingers on the table, wondering what her next move could be here. She knew that she shouldn't say anything, Oliver was the only one that could, but his newfound standstill approach wouldn't resolve this. Neither would the distance, but for now, the only thing Evie could hope was that Oliver would see that because it was clear Chloe wanted to leave. Not because she wanted to, but because she had to... but it still meant they would be across the country and risked losing whatever shot they had. However, if that was their choice, Evie knew she couldn't interfere.
So she attempted a smile as she dropped her cup on the saucer. "Then one of us has to live our dream. I'll start apartment hunting on Friday."
"Thanks."
"No problem," Evie said as she stood up. "Now... I seem to remember that you missed most of your party last time we did this... how about we join it?"
Chloe went to stand up when she heard her phone ringing in her purse. "One sec," she said as she noticed the caller id and brought it to her ear. "You know I wondered why your face was missing from this crowd, when are you coming?"
Victor sighed on the other end. "Actually, I can't make it. AC's on a mission and I've got to walk him through. I'll make it up to you, I swear."
"No worries, I'll see you soon?"
"You bet. Enjoy your birthday Chloe."
By the time Chloe had hung up her phone she looked up and saw Oliver. "You having fun?"
"Yes, thanks again." Reaching her arms around him, Chloe relaxed her head against his chest. She wasn't sure why she hugged him, but in that moment, it felt right.
Meanwhile, outside of the cafe stood Victor Stone, watching as the festivities were going down. As much as he wanted to go inside, instead he turned around with a smirk on his face and headed back to his dorm.
April