Love by a Different Name (6/?)
Title: Love by a Different Name
Summary: "It was nothing but a chance encounter, a simple set-up that neither of them wanted to attend. But they did, and they had found each other." Sequel to “Time Makes it Harder,” takes place in the Mirror-verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: adult content, coarse language.
Dedication: To
daydreamer22688, I don't know if you remembering asking for this, but ask and you shall receive.
Thanks to:
alxnhnt22 for the banner.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Part 6
This was the first time that Chloe felt a little bittersweet walking through the Star City airport, but alas, life does go on, and she had to go back. Oliver would be coming soon, and for now, that would get her through.
Pushing the final door open, Chloe looked up and quickly noticed her ride was here waiting for her. And it wasn’t just any friend. Chloe meant it when she told Oliver that she had help, as he wasn’t the only one that called her by her real name.
Emily Hopkins had been one of the staples in Chloe’s life since Lex’s death, one of the few people she could rely on. It helped that they had something in common, except it would be the last thing people would guess. Chloe was a blonde journalist from Kansas, Emily a brunette hacker from Michigan, yet the two woman were the two beneficiaries of Alexander Luthor’s estate.
Her friend was dressed in a silver t-shirt and black jeans, and even from a distance, Chloe could see the circles under Emily’s eyes. But soon her familiar smile framed her face when she noticed Chloe. Rising from her seat across the hallway, Emily quickly walked over to Chloe, wrapping her arms around her when she got close.
“Welcome home Cora.”
“Em, nice to see you as always.”
Feeling this, Chloe couldn't help but crack a smile. It was amazing to see how far their friendship had come, and how much everything had slowly improved since they met, even if blessings took disguises. The first time they met, Chloe was fairly skeptical of Emily, and who could blame her? Emily was the last person she expected at the end of a long journey to find the other half of Lex’s money. Chloe's search had taken her months, and it had taken her to a townhouse in a city five hours away from Metropolis.
~0~
This was insane. Here she was, knocking on a door, hoping for answers, answers Chloe honestly didn’t even have questions for. Well, besides how this place was the end of the trail to the other half of Lex’s estate.
The house wasn’t much, and the car out front was a ten-year-old clunker. Whoever lived here clearly didn’t care about material possessions. That was if anyone did live here. All that time driving, it didn’t seem to panning out like she intended. But Chloe stayed in her spot, hoping.
Finally, footsteps from inside the house were coming towards Chloe, and soon she was face-to-face with a woman, who seemed to be around her age. Upon seeing Chloe, she just smirked, sized up her visitor, and eventually chuckled as she stepped aside, implying for Chloe to come in. “Welcome.”
But Chloe didn’t go inside, skeptical of how the woman was so comfortable with her presence already. “Should I know you?”
“Not likely,” the woman replied with a casual shrug. “Compared to you, my public profile is... well... non-existent.” Flashing a smile, she gestured again for Chloe to come inside. “I swear, I don’t bite.”
This time, Chloe did accept the invitation. The inside of the home appeared the same as the outside: unassuming. Nothing lavish, no odd possession that stood out. Even the woman’s appearance of basic yoga pants and a bargain t-shirt. From the outside, she seemed to be the furthest thing from being an heiress.
Then again, Chloe knew nothing about the woman. “So I take it I would be correct in assuming you know who I am.”
“Chloe Sullivan.” It was said as if her name was the most common of sense, but the woman seemed content on getting to know her. Holding out her hand for Chloe to shake, she finally introduced herself. “Name’s Emily Hopkins, and no, there’s no reason for you to know my name.”
Chloe was initially tentative, but eventually shook Emily’s hand. “So why does Lex knows yours?” Nothing made sense, and Chloe had contemplated all of the options. The only thing that remotely made sense was... no, it couldn’t be. But the question still had to be asked. “Were you...?"
Emily stared back at Chloe, and once she was able to fill in the blanks, she brought her hand to her mouth, coughing a couple of times. “No,” she replied confidently once she got her breath back. “We couldn’t be further from each other’s types.”
Clearing her throat again to get the unwelcome image out of her head, Emily gestured her head towards the kitchen. “You want some coffee? I just finished putting a pot on.”
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Chloe replied. She had driven all this way, and considering everything, caffeine would be a definite plus. So she followed behind Emily to head towards what Chloe assumed was the kitchen.
Emily looked over her shoulder, glad to see that the blonde was giving her a shot, but she also realized that she never answered the question. “Do you remember how LuthorCorp suffered a financial humiliation last year thanks to someone hacking their accounts?”
One of the finer moments in Kansas history in Chloe’s opinion, a moment that was clammed up faster than it was created, but it was never forgotten to Chloe. And apparently this woman too, but how? “Wait...that was you?”
“Guilty.” Emily never got tired of the surprise of people’s voice when they figured it out, not that a lot of people had. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was a woman, but Emily never cared, even if she did technically get caught. “Lex was responsible for finding me, and he did. But he allowed me to keep the money as long as I kept tabs on the security, made sure it was up to his standards.”
“So he hired you?”
“It’s more of an under the table scenario.” Being paid on paper meant that Lionel would find her, and if Emily was lucky, her life would be in a jail cell. But more likely, she would have been in a body bag, and Lex saw that as a wasted resource. So yeah, Lex was using her, but she was alive, and she could still live her life, she just had to be careful. Emily took the chance, figuring that it was better than being dead. But what she didn’t expect was a sudden inheritance. “After all, no one would believe a Luthor would give him entire estate to two charities.”
Chloe was quick to clarify, “I gave plenty to charity though.”
“So did I,” Emily countered. “Despite the kindness Lex showed me, I wasn’t overly fond of the idea that I owed the Luthors anything. Besides, I liked having an actual paycheque, so I started my own technical writing business.”
Emily pulled out a card and passed it to Chloe, who read it quickly before looking back up. Echo Tech... she had never heard of it, but it seemed to provide Emily with enough of a living. “I’ve made quite a client base, without them having a clue of who I actually am. It helps that I write under a pseudonym though.”
Squinting at the card momentarily, Emily was quick to point out the phone number. “You can call me at that number if you need anything. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join, or do your own thing... even live here if you want, because this really is a safe house.”
Suddenly, Chloe heard a creak on the upper floors, causing her to look towards the ceiling. “Is there someone else here?”
Emily biting her bottom lip sold her answer, but she also was ready to hold her ground. “I’m as loyal as they get, which you’ll discover if you give me the chance, but you have to stick around a little longer to get the full story. So are you staying or going?”
“Define staying.”
Emily’s index finger pointed up as she replied, “There’s a spare bedroom upstairs. Unless you like whatever place Lex likely set you up in.”
The trust Emily showed Chloe was incredible, but for some reason, Chloe felt it was mutual. Being who they were, knowing more or less a person’s character based on how they lived, Chloe had a feeling that she was really could interact with people again. After Lex’s death, company, contact, had been limited at best. “This would beat my underground bunker of a home.”
“Great,” Emily replied with a smile, even if it wasn’t a straight answer, but she wanted Chloe to know she was welcome. “Feel free to move in whenever... I don’t leave much.”
~0~
That much was the truth. Emily relied more on her paycheque in her writing business than her inheritance, preferring to save that for a rainy day, or towards what Lex was technically paying her to do. Finding a way to bring the Luthors down financially. If their wrongdoings couldn’t be tried in court, they could freeze their assets, stop their illegal projects, their hold on the Metropolis area and to an extent, the entirety of America.
They found and shut down three major accounts, giving the majority of what they ‘stole’ in charities. The three of them were a great team, but what they were doing wasn’t enough. They had to get closer. They had enough money to keep the property and buy one more, so they moved to Metropolis' outskirts to keep a closer eye on things.
As time went by, more risks were taken, including two people from that same town walking the streets. Identities were erased, but only Chloe created an alias. The other two started from scratch with their names, and one risked everything to keep an eye on things outside of the door of the house, while Chloe and Emily worked behind the scenes.
But Oliver’s death started a cycle of things changing. It was also that moment when they realized, despite Lionel’s presumed death, Clark Luthor was no different.
It struck something in all of them, Oliver’s so-called passing. Days, weeks, months were poured into it, trying to find a loophole, a possible way he was still alive, but nothing came of it. Chloe wanted retribution, anything to get back at the Luthors, but then Clark changed.
Months after Oliver’s funeral, Clark apologized at a press conference, and day after day, he would walk the talk. The irony was that it was love that changed the man, and Lois no less. The one remaining person in Chloe’s life actually got through to a Luthor. Go figure.
Eventually, they all realized that all the work they were doing, it didn’t make the pain any better, it didn’t give back what they lost. They had to live their own lives, to an extent anyway.
First, they moved out to Star City, figuring they needed a place far from Luthor influence. It was hard for Chloe initially, but she managed fine after awhile.
Echo Tech was also shut down, as Emily worked instead as a barista at a local cafe, desperately wanting to have a chance to live in the real world. Lionel being dead and Clark changing gears basically gave her a new lease on life, and Emily was willing to take that chance both personally and professionally.
She never went back to Michigan, feeling too much time had passed, but Chloe knew she was happy. These days, Chloe liked to think her entire team was as happy as life could afford them to be, and well, things were about to get even more interesting.
Staring back at her friend as she backed away, Chloe noticed that Emily had furrowed her eyebrows. “What?”
It shouldn’t have been anything, but Emily couldn’t get over the wide smile on Chloe’s face. The expression wasn’t exactly common for Chloe these days. She was satisfied most days, but happy, not so much. “Oh no, please don’t tell me that Hal got to you.”
Chloe’s eyes bulged momentarily as her words set in before completely refuting that idea. “No no, Hal’s fine, but... no.”
“You look... ” Emily’s voice trailed as she awkwardly shook her hand in front of Chloe, “over-happy, for lack of better terms.”
Taking joy out of her friend’s discomfort was probably wrong, but Chloe couldn’t help it. The way Emily was walking around the obvious was entertaining. “Why don’t you just spit it out?”
“You’re glowing,” Emily blurted before rolling her eyes. “Happy?”
Picking up her bag again, Chloe began to follow Emily towards the exit. “I find it funny how coy you are in regards to this considering your relationship status.”
Emily immediately averted her eyes before replying, “That’s... different.”
At that, Chloe had to chuckle as they both entered the automatic revolving door. “Um, I was a third wheel for months, trust me it’s not.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed momentarily as she pointed her index finger in Chloe’s direction. “You set us up, ergo, you have no right to complain.”
Raising her eyebrow, Chloe fired back as her foot hit the pavement outside the airport, “I’m sorry, was I was supposed to just sit back and deal with the awkward tension between you two?”
Emily wasn’t sure how the conversation had veered this much towards her own relationship, but she nonetheless continued to downplay it as they crossed the street towards the parkade. “There wasn’t....”
Initially, she thought about finishing that sentence, but when she turned her head, all she saw was Chloe’s skeptical expression, and well, Emily was kind of biased when it came to this matter. For all she knew, she really was that bad. “Okay fine.”
Holding her arm out to press the button that unlocked her blue sedan, Emily added, “But this isn’t about me.” She had all the facts when it came to Chloe’s social life, or rather lack thereof. There hadn’t been a guy, not even a one night stand, in at least a year. “What was different about this guy?”
“Nothing,” Chloe replied as she opened the passenger door. Sitting down, Chloe felt herself take a deep breath. The door shut, her seat belt done up, she looked to her friend and said calmly, “Em, I found Oliver.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily immediately replied, “I thought you just said that you found Oliver.”
“I did.”
Emily’s eyes understandable widened, as she didn’t want to believe what Chloe was saying, but she could tell that her friend was completely serious. “Wow. Can’t say I was expecting that.”
When those were Emily’s only words before she turned her keys in the ignition, backing the car out of the parking space as if it wasn’t a big deal, Chloe felt confused. Convincing her... it felt too easy. “You believe me?”
“Chloe, the only thing true about my identity or my boyfriend’s... is our names. You made a new identity.” Emily looked both ways before turning onto the main road, calmly replying as she moved the car over a few lanes. “Oliver being alive isn’t surprising, it’s just that... I guess I’m a little disappointed.” Slowing down as the car reached their exit, Emily finally had a chance to turn towards Chloe again. She really wanted to say this to her face. “I really tried to find him for you.”
Taking in her friend’s frown, Chloe placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “We all did, I know.” Emily nodded and quickly looked back towards the road, so Chloe decided to take the conversation in another direction. “Speaking of your boyfriend... where he is?” Normally, she had both of them at the airport when she came back into town.
“Top secret business trip with Tess.” Emily wished that she could say more, but not even he had details. Whatever Tess was up to worried her, but considering what she had done since taking over Queen Industries, Emily was willing to trust Miss Jenkins that much.
But the worried look on her face wasn’t lost on Chloe. “When did he leave?”
Sensing the concern in Chloe’s question, Emily managed a smile. “I drove him to the airport this morning.” Her grin widening, she joked, “Then I just hung around... which is like pulling teeth so you know.”
Chloe chuckled once before turning her head back to rest against the headrest, staring out towards the road. “Well, thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem, you can make it up to me by filling me in on everything Oliver related.” After a second, Emily made sure to clarify, “The PG rated stuff.”
Part 7
Sera’s Scribbles: Quick reminder because it's been a while since I've updated, and it's not an often-used detail. Tess' mother's last name was Jenkins, as she wasn''t adopted in the mirrorverse- hence no Mercer.
Also, my comment about my head-canon taking over... this is essentially why. The rest of it... is coming. I apologize for the lack of Chlollie on this chapter, but the whole reason this story is still going is because I wanted to consider Chloe's team, so I hope you can bear this so blanks can be filled and well... more stuff can happen. What I'm doing (and about to do) may seem weird/wrong, but I ask for your trust, because I think I can make this worthwhile.
Summary: "It was nothing but a chance encounter, a simple set-up that neither of them wanted to attend. But they did, and they had found each other." Sequel to “Time Makes it Harder,” takes place in the Mirror-verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warning: adult content, coarse language.
Dedication: To
daydreamer22688, I don't know if you remembering asking for this, but ask and you shall receive.
Thanks to:
alxnhnt22 for the banner.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Part 6
This was the first time that Chloe felt a little bittersweet walking through the Star City airport, but alas, life does go on, and she had to go back. Oliver would be coming soon, and for now, that would get her through.
Pushing the final door open, Chloe looked up and quickly noticed her ride was here waiting for her. And it wasn’t just any friend. Chloe meant it when she told Oliver that she had help, as he wasn’t the only one that called her by her real name.
Emily Hopkins had been one of the staples in Chloe’s life since Lex’s death, one of the few people she could rely on. It helped that they had something in common, except it would be the last thing people would guess. Chloe was a blonde journalist from Kansas, Emily a brunette hacker from Michigan, yet the two woman were the two beneficiaries of Alexander Luthor’s estate.
Her friend was dressed in a silver t-shirt and black jeans, and even from a distance, Chloe could see the circles under Emily’s eyes. But soon her familiar smile framed her face when she noticed Chloe. Rising from her seat across the hallway, Emily quickly walked over to Chloe, wrapping her arms around her when she got close.
“Welcome home Cora.”
“Em, nice to see you as always.”
Feeling this, Chloe couldn't help but crack a smile. It was amazing to see how far their friendship had come, and how much everything had slowly improved since they met, even if blessings took disguises. The first time they met, Chloe was fairly skeptical of Emily, and who could blame her? Emily was the last person she expected at the end of a long journey to find the other half of Lex’s money. Chloe's search had taken her months, and it had taken her to a townhouse in a city five hours away from Metropolis.
~0~
This was insane. Here she was, knocking on a door, hoping for answers, answers Chloe honestly didn’t even have questions for. Well, besides how this place was the end of the trail to the other half of Lex’s estate.
The house wasn’t much, and the car out front was a ten-year-old clunker. Whoever lived here clearly didn’t care about material possessions. That was if anyone did live here. All that time driving, it didn’t seem to panning out like she intended. But Chloe stayed in her spot, hoping.
Finally, footsteps from inside the house were coming towards Chloe, and soon she was face-to-face with a woman, who seemed to be around her age. Upon seeing Chloe, she just smirked, sized up her visitor, and eventually chuckled as she stepped aside, implying for Chloe to come in. “Welcome.”
But Chloe didn’t go inside, skeptical of how the woman was so comfortable with her presence already. “Should I know you?”
“Not likely,” the woman replied with a casual shrug. “Compared to you, my public profile is... well... non-existent.” Flashing a smile, she gestured again for Chloe to come inside. “I swear, I don’t bite.”
This time, Chloe did accept the invitation. The inside of the home appeared the same as the outside: unassuming. Nothing lavish, no odd possession that stood out. Even the woman’s appearance of basic yoga pants and a bargain t-shirt. From the outside, she seemed to be the furthest thing from being an heiress.
Then again, Chloe knew nothing about the woman. “So I take it I would be correct in assuming you know who I am.”
“Chloe Sullivan.” It was said as if her name was the most common of sense, but the woman seemed content on getting to know her. Holding out her hand for Chloe to shake, she finally introduced herself. “Name’s Emily Hopkins, and no, there’s no reason for you to know my name.”
Chloe was initially tentative, but eventually shook Emily’s hand. “So why does Lex knows yours?” Nothing made sense, and Chloe had contemplated all of the options. The only thing that remotely made sense was... no, it couldn’t be. But the question still had to be asked. “Were you...?"
Emily stared back at Chloe, and once she was able to fill in the blanks, she brought her hand to her mouth, coughing a couple of times. “No,” she replied confidently once she got her breath back. “We couldn’t be further from each other’s types.”
Clearing her throat again to get the unwelcome image out of her head, Emily gestured her head towards the kitchen. “You want some coffee? I just finished putting a pot on.”
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Chloe replied. She had driven all this way, and considering everything, caffeine would be a definite plus. So she followed behind Emily to head towards what Chloe assumed was the kitchen.
Emily looked over her shoulder, glad to see that the blonde was giving her a shot, but she also realized that she never answered the question. “Do you remember how LuthorCorp suffered a financial humiliation last year thanks to someone hacking their accounts?”
One of the finer moments in Kansas history in Chloe’s opinion, a moment that was clammed up faster than it was created, but it was never forgotten to Chloe. And apparently this woman too, but how? “Wait...that was you?”
“Guilty.” Emily never got tired of the surprise of people’s voice when they figured it out, not that a lot of people had. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was a woman, but Emily never cared, even if she did technically get caught. “Lex was responsible for finding me, and he did. But he allowed me to keep the money as long as I kept tabs on the security, made sure it was up to his standards.”
“So he hired you?”
“It’s more of an under the table scenario.” Being paid on paper meant that Lionel would find her, and if Emily was lucky, her life would be in a jail cell. But more likely, she would have been in a body bag, and Lex saw that as a wasted resource. So yeah, Lex was using her, but she was alive, and she could still live her life, she just had to be careful. Emily took the chance, figuring that it was better than being dead. But what she didn’t expect was a sudden inheritance. “After all, no one would believe a Luthor would give him entire estate to two charities.”
Chloe was quick to clarify, “I gave plenty to charity though.”
“So did I,” Emily countered. “Despite the kindness Lex showed me, I wasn’t overly fond of the idea that I owed the Luthors anything. Besides, I liked having an actual paycheque, so I started my own technical writing business.”
Emily pulled out a card and passed it to Chloe, who read it quickly before looking back up. Echo Tech... she had never heard of it, but it seemed to provide Emily with enough of a living. “I’ve made quite a client base, without them having a clue of who I actually am. It helps that I write under a pseudonym though.”
Squinting at the card momentarily, Emily was quick to point out the phone number. “You can call me at that number if you need anything. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join, or do your own thing... even live here if you want, because this really is a safe house.”
Suddenly, Chloe heard a creak on the upper floors, causing her to look towards the ceiling. “Is there someone else here?”
Emily biting her bottom lip sold her answer, but she also was ready to hold her ground. “I’m as loyal as they get, which you’ll discover if you give me the chance, but you have to stick around a little longer to get the full story. So are you staying or going?”
“Define staying.”
Emily’s index finger pointed up as she replied, “There’s a spare bedroom upstairs. Unless you like whatever place Lex likely set you up in.”
The trust Emily showed Chloe was incredible, but for some reason, Chloe felt it was mutual. Being who they were, knowing more or less a person’s character based on how they lived, Chloe had a feeling that she was really could interact with people again. After Lex’s death, company, contact, had been limited at best. “This would beat my underground bunker of a home.”
“Great,” Emily replied with a smile, even if it wasn’t a straight answer, but she wanted Chloe to know she was welcome. “Feel free to move in whenever... I don’t leave much.”
~0~
That much was the truth. Emily relied more on her paycheque in her writing business than her inheritance, preferring to save that for a rainy day, or towards what Lex was technically paying her to do. Finding a way to bring the Luthors down financially. If their wrongdoings couldn’t be tried in court, they could freeze their assets, stop their illegal projects, their hold on the Metropolis area and to an extent, the entirety of America.
They found and shut down three major accounts, giving the majority of what they ‘stole’ in charities. The three of them were a great team, but what they were doing wasn’t enough. They had to get closer. They had enough money to keep the property and buy one more, so they moved to Metropolis' outskirts to keep a closer eye on things.
As time went by, more risks were taken, including two people from that same town walking the streets. Identities were erased, but only Chloe created an alias. The other two started from scratch with their names, and one risked everything to keep an eye on things outside of the door of the house, while Chloe and Emily worked behind the scenes.
But Oliver’s death started a cycle of things changing. It was also that moment when they realized, despite Lionel’s presumed death, Clark Luthor was no different.
It struck something in all of them, Oliver’s so-called passing. Days, weeks, months were poured into it, trying to find a loophole, a possible way he was still alive, but nothing came of it. Chloe wanted retribution, anything to get back at the Luthors, but then Clark changed.
Months after Oliver’s funeral, Clark apologized at a press conference, and day after day, he would walk the talk. The irony was that it was love that changed the man, and Lois no less. The one remaining person in Chloe’s life actually got through to a Luthor. Go figure.
Eventually, they all realized that all the work they were doing, it didn’t make the pain any better, it didn’t give back what they lost. They had to live their own lives, to an extent anyway.
First, they moved out to Star City, figuring they needed a place far from Luthor influence. It was hard for Chloe initially, but she managed fine after awhile.
Echo Tech was also shut down, as Emily worked instead as a barista at a local cafe, desperately wanting to have a chance to live in the real world. Lionel being dead and Clark changing gears basically gave her a new lease on life, and Emily was willing to take that chance both personally and professionally.
She never went back to Michigan, feeling too much time had passed, but Chloe knew she was happy. These days, Chloe liked to think her entire team was as happy as life could afford them to be, and well, things were about to get even more interesting.
Staring back at her friend as she backed away, Chloe noticed that Emily had furrowed her eyebrows. “What?”
It shouldn’t have been anything, but Emily couldn’t get over the wide smile on Chloe’s face. The expression wasn’t exactly common for Chloe these days. She was satisfied most days, but happy, not so much. “Oh no, please don’t tell me that Hal got to you.”
Chloe’s eyes bulged momentarily as her words set in before completely refuting that idea. “No no, Hal’s fine, but... no.”
“You look... ” Emily’s voice trailed as she awkwardly shook her hand in front of Chloe, “over-happy, for lack of better terms.”
Taking joy out of her friend’s discomfort was probably wrong, but Chloe couldn’t help it. The way Emily was walking around the obvious was entertaining. “Why don’t you just spit it out?”
“You’re glowing,” Emily blurted before rolling her eyes. “Happy?”
Picking up her bag again, Chloe began to follow Emily towards the exit. “I find it funny how coy you are in regards to this considering your relationship status.”
Emily immediately averted her eyes before replying, “That’s... different.”
At that, Chloe had to chuckle as they both entered the automatic revolving door. “Um, I was a third wheel for months, trust me it’s not.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed momentarily as she pointed her index finger in Chloe’s direction. “You set us up, ergo, you have no right to complain.”
Raising her eyebrow, Chloe fired back as her foot hit the pavement outside the airport, “I’m sorry, was I was supposed to just sit back and deal with the awkward tension between you two?”
Emily wasn’t sure how the conversation had veered this much towards her own relationship, but she nonetheless continued to downplay it as they crossed the street towards the parkade. “There wasn’t....”
Initially, she thought about finishing that sentence, but when she turned her head, all she saw was Chloe’s skeptical expression, and well, Emily was kind of biased when it came to this matter. For all she knew, she really was that bad. “Okay fine.”
Holding her arm out to press the button that unlocked her blue sedan, Emily added, “But this isn’t about me.” She had all the facts when it came to Chloe’s social life, or rather lack thereof. There hadn’t been a guy, not even a one night stand, in at least a year. “What was different about this guy?”
“Nothing,” Chloe replied as she opened the passenger door. Sitting down, Chloe felt herself take a deep breath. The door shut, her seat belt done up, she looked to her friend and said calmly, “Em, I found Oliver.”
“I’m sorry,” Emily immediately replied, “I thought you just said that you found Oliver.”
“I did.”
Emily’s eyes understandable widened, as she didn’t want to believe what Chloe was saying, but she could tell that her friend was completely serious. “Wow. Can’t say I was expecting that.”
When those were Emily’s only words before she turned her keys in the ignition, backing the car out of the parking space as if it wasn’t a big deal, Chloe felt confused. Convincing her... it felt too easy. “You believe me?”
“Chloe, the only thing true about my identity or my boyfriend’s... is our names. You made a new identity.” Emily looked both ways before turning onto the main road, calmly replying as she moved the car over a few lanes. “Oliver being alive isn’t surprising, it’s just that... I guess I’m a little disappointed.” Slowing down as the car reached their exit, Emily finally had a chance to turn towards Chloe again. She really wanted to say this to her face. “I really tried to find him for you.”
Taking in her friend’s frown, Chloe placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “We all did, I know.” Emily nodded and quickly looked back towards the road, so Chloe decided to take the conversation in another direction. “Speaking of your boyfriend... where he is?” Normally, she had both of them at the airport when she came back into town.
“Top secret business trip with Tess.” Emily wished that she could say more, but not even he had details. Whatever Tess was up to worried her, but considering what she had done since taking over Queen Industries, Emily was willing to trust Miss Jenkins that much.
But the worried look on her face wasn’t lost on Chloe. “When did he leave?”
Sensing the concern in Chloe’s question, Emily managed a smile. “I drove him to the airport this morning.” Her grin widening, she joked, “Then I just hung around... which is like pulling teeth so you know.”
Chloe chuckled once before turning her head back to rest against the headrest, staring out towards the road. “Well, thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem, you can make it up to me by filling me in on everything Oliver related.” After a second, Emily made sure to clarify, “The PG rated stuff.”
Part 7
Sera’s Scribbles: Quick reminder because it's been a while since I've updated, and it's not an often-used detail. Tess' mother's last name was Jenkins, as she wasn''t adopted in the mirrorverse- hence no Mercer.
Also, my comment about my head-canon taking over... this is essentially why. The rest of it... is coming. I apologize for the lack of Chlollie on this chapter, but the whole reason this story is still going is because I wanted to consider Chloe's team, so I hope you can bear this so blanks can be filled and well... more stuff can happen. What I'm doing (and about to do) may seem weird/wrong, but I ask for your trust, because I think I can make this worthwhile.