Fighting Echoes (21/23)
Author: 
serafina19
Title: Fighting Echoes
Summary: As identities and affiliations are exposed, the Justice League begins to form. But once an old foe re-emerges and raises the stakes, Evie is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect everyone she cares about. Sequel to “Notbroken,” and the final multi-chapter in the "Calendar Girl" verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Coarse language, violence and adult content.
Special thanks to:
552158 for the amazing banners that I couldn’t stop admiring when you sent them to me. Also, big love to
slytherinpunk, without you, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to try this.
August p.1 August p.2 September p.1 September p.2 October p.1 October p.2 October p.3 November p.1 November p.2 December p.1 December p.2 January p.1 January p.2 February p.1 February p.2 March April May June p.1 June p.2
July
July 1
Carrying her groceries in her hands, Evie turned the corner towards her apartment door, but she felt herself pause when she saw Victor leaving. It had been two days since she had seen him, so Evie was wondering why he was here.
Looking up after he locked the door behind him, Victor smirked at her. “Hey, I was just dropping something off.”
She tried to match his expression, but she couldn’t, settling on pursing her lips at his comment. Dipping her head, Evie muttered, “Right.” She wasn’t an idiot, as Victor had been rushing off the moment he saw her, so there was no reason to think this time was any different.
Only it was, leading to Victor grabbing her arm when she was next to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The contact had caught her off-guard, causing one of her bags to fall to the ground. She wanted to pick it up, but Victor wasn’t letting her go, his eyes serious as she glanced at him. So Evie answered his question with her own. “Were you ever going to tell me that you were shot?” One look at his face and Evie had her answer, and his grip loosened on her.
“Bart told you, didn’t he?” Victor asked, closing his eyes, not ever wanting her to know about this, to worry about this. But once he opened them again, Evie was standing again, and Victor knew that was the wrong thing to say.
“So what if he did? It was clear that you were never going to.” Even worse that even after Evie had called him on his omission; Victor didn’t even try to explain himself. Walking past him, she wanted to slam her fist against the door as she stood in front of it. The only reason she didn’t was because she finally heard his voice again.
“It didn’t matter.”
Shaking her head, Evie bit her tongue to keep herself from letting out a dry chuckle. “That’s where you’re wrong.” Her head falling to lean against the door, she turned it enough to look at him, standing close to her, but his back still turned. “You’re being a hypocrite and you know it." She heard his footsteps, so Evie brought her head up once more, surprised to see that Victor had turned around, not walked away. "You used to trust me and while I know that I’m mostly to blame for that, this... sucks.”
And as much as she wanted to be the one who walked away this time, Evie pulled herself together and faced him. This may be her chance to have Victor hear her out and she wasn’t going to squander that. “I’m sorry,” Evie started, hoping an apology was going to be enough, “I crossed the line, using my ability on you and I’ve regretted it every minute since.” Everything else was secondary was at this point, because she valued Victor too much in her life. Acting that way around him just a few minutes ago hurt too much. So if one particular admission would have to fade into the background, Evie could live with that. “Can you find a way to forgive me?”
Victor was speechless. He had come to apologize for his complete pettiness and cowardice, yet here she was, wanting forgiveness for something that he learned to understand. “You’re right, I should have told you, but I thought you had more important things to worry about.”
Placing his palm carefully over his shirt, knowing the scar that remained underneath, Victor quickly re-lived the moments in his head. There was a short period that he thought that he would be Evie’s last sacrifice, but in a way, preventing that was why he fought. “It wasn’t pretty, but Emil did a great job fixing me up.”
After that, among other things, Victor lost himself in the cause, believing that his place in her life was to help her behind the scenes like before. Seeing her now, it was clear that Bart was right. Things weren’t perfect between them now, but it was far from the fragmented state that he made her feel. “To answer your question, I understand why you did what you did, so there is nothing to forgive.”
Taking a deep breath, Evie knew that Victor was telling her the truth, which was a huge relief. “Okay.”
He could see Evie relaxing, so Victor risked a smile, hoping that this was the start of him mending what he had done. “I actually do have to leave, but...Evie, I’m really sorry too.”
“Okay,” she repeated, taking the apology... and the smile as a small victory and let him go. Turning towards her door once more, she unlocked it, intent on putting her groceries away, but once again, she stopped upon seeing what was in front of her. The least Victor could have done was tell her what he was dropping off, but as she abandoned her bags at the doorway to approach her kitchen table, Evie felt a genuine smile form.
Touching her fingertips to the lily petals, her eyes took notice of the card in front of them. Actually, it was just a piece of paper folded in quarters, her name written in his handwriting on the front, but Evie didn’t care about semantics. She didn’t have to open it to realize that the Victor she remembered was back.
Evie,
It’s a few months late, but happy birthday. However, I can officially say that half of the 33.1 facilities have been emptied. Every person will begin to their lives freely and we will continue to support them where we can. We won't stop until every last one is shut down, but all this would have been impossible without you... so know that as scared as you are to taking that step towards a new life, that you’ve saved more lives than I ever could express.
I know you’re struggling with everything, but I want you to know that I’m here for you when you figure things out. I know I’ve been difficult lately, so I’m hoping that this will do something to appease my behaviour.
Victor
It was a start, and Evie could live with that. The progress on shutting down 33.1 was a huge accomplishment, but she wasn’t sure that she played that big of a part, which reminded her of the offer Tess had given her. Evie had to admit, it was tempting, but she couldn’t help but think that there was something else out there waiting for her to explore.
Sure, her career options had varied, but now was different. Now, she could be anything and Evie wanted to ensure she made the right call. At least now she knew that she had the rock in her life again when she was ready for that endeavour.
Putting the card down, she took one last look at the flowers before turning back to put away her groceries. One bag at a time, she put away everything, not even realizing that she left her door wide open. Rolling her eyes, Evie went to close it, but she didn’t get there before someone else entered the apartment.
She was going to make a quip about her being popular today until she noticed just who was at her door. Her mouth gaped open as she took in his appearance and Evie felt her face light up as she found her words. “You’re... walking.” Not only that, but he also looked like himself, as the bruises had finally faded.
“That I am,” Scott replied as he entered the apartment fully, finding Evie's smile infectious as he couldn't help but grin back. “You look great.”
Evie blushed slightly, her head dipping slightly as Chloe joined them, slipping her phone into her purse. “Hey! Emil cleared him for non-strenuous activity and I figured we all could get a coffee to celebrate. You in?”
Nodding, Evie picked up her purse. “Lead the way.”
“Sorry,” Scott said quickly before Evie reached the door, “do you mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Straight down that way.”
Scott grinned, turning to head in the direction Evie was pointing, but when he noticed that they weren’t heading out, he stopped. “No reason for you two to wait for me... I’ll lock up.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key Chloe lent him when Oliver called her in the elevator.
Fortunately, they listened to him, closing the door behind him. Now alone, Scott walked over to the table, picking up the card, having a pretty good idea who wrote it.
~0~
While the girls were getting refills on their respective coffees, Oliver sat across the table from Scott, noticing his defeated body language that he was trying to hide. “How’re the ribs?”
“Sore, but Emil said I should be good to go back in a couple days.” Chuckling lightly, he looked up at Oliver. “Don’t suppose I could borrow that jet of yours and save on airfare?” It was a stretch at best, Scott knew that, but he figured at this point, it may be best for him to leave sooner than later.
“You’re leaving already?” Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he moved forward in his chair, lowering his voice as he added, “I thought I heard Lois say you were welcome to come to the wedding.”
“I appreciate the invite, but I don’t think it’s the best idea if I stick around here.” Scott scoffed at the implication as he drubbed his fingers on the table. “I think I make her feel more guilty than she already does.”
Peering towards where the girls were standing, Scott caught Evie’s eye as she turned around in line. She smiled at him, just like she used to, and again, he couldn’t hold his smile back. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t miss her, and the fact that he would be leaving alone didn’t sit well with him. But he also knew her, knew her well enough to know it this time was different.
Turning his gaze back to Oliver, who was eyeing Scott curiously after the exchange between the two, causing Scott to shrug casually. “I thought we could turn back the clock, but there's someone..” Stopping suddenly, remembering that this was some sort of crazy secret, Scott went in a different direction. “I mean, there’s the issue of me lacking a tux. These are pretty much the only clothes I have.”
Oliver immediately noticed the pause and mentally filled in the blanks. It didn't surprise him that Scott managed to figure that out, and Oliver understood why he wanted to leave, but he still replied, “I think I can introduce you to a tailor.” Things were strained, but they needed that closure before Evie moved on, if she ever let herself that is.
Seeing Evie and Chloe approaching their table again, Oliver looked up at his girlfriend. “Hey,” he said, wrapping his arm around Chloe’s shoulder once she sat down next to him. “I figured that Scott might be sick of staying in Watchtower, so I told him that he could use the guest bedroom while he’s here, is that okay with you?”
Chloe nodded as she sipped her coffee. “Works for me.” After putting her cup down, Chloe took a quick look at the people with her right now. With the four of them, it almost felt like old times at SCU, when life was easier, simpler. It was a welcome change of pace considering the last few months.
However, when the silence wore on, Evie looked back-and-forth between the two, surprised at how nonchalant they were about this. “Seriously?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her mouth gaped momentarily, as Evie chose her words carefully. “I was just… there’s no reason for him to be constant interruptus for you two.” Turning to look at Scott, she shrugged slightly. “You could stay with me if you wanted.” After all, it wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before and she knew that they still needed to talk before Scott left again.
Scott subtly looked at Oliver before giving Evie a questioning look. “Really?” Glancing at the blonde couple across the table, he couldn’t resist asking, “Is it that bad?”
Staring at her cup, Evie blurted before Chloe could interject, “Our sex life was the equivalent of Sesame Street next to these two.”
Scott’s eyes practically bulged out of his head upon hearing that statement, as Evie wasn’t exactly the one to share that kind of information, but his reaction was covered by Chloe leaning across the table to slap Evie’s arm. “Hey!”
Evie’s hands immediately went up in defence. “You compare notes with Lois, and she tells me everything, this is the closest I’m getting to payback.”
That comment got Oliver’s attention as he leaned forward. “You compare notes?”
Refusing to meet his stare, Chloe casually glanced away as she found the easiest excuse possible. “It’s a girl thing.”
Evie wasn’t letting her play it that subtle as she looked back up again, folding her arms on the table and looking straight at Oliver. “Chloe talk for you having nothing to worry about.”
Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again as he looked over at Chloe whose cheeks resembled cherries. Evie knew she would likely pay for this, but she didn’t care. Hours upon hours of Lois chatting up Evie about things that weren’t her business had gotten to her, and while it wasn’t likely the best timing, it was one of those mornings that Evie’s subtlety went out the window.
Instead, it was Scott that spoke, “And on that note, how about we take that coffee to go?” Before she had a chance to react, she felt Scott grab her hand, quickly taking her out of the cafe.
Watching the brunettes leave, Chloe wanted to say something along the lines that Evie wouldn’t get away with what she did that easily, but when she saw the two laughing outside, her expression softened.
“Well, that’s progress.” She heard Oliver clear his throat next to her, so she turned and watched him raise an eyebrow. “Like Evie said, you have nothing to worry about.”
“That’s all I need to know.” However, his smile fell fast as he realized that he couldn’t avoid this anymore. “But there’s something I need to tell you.”
July 8
Entering his office, Oliver was surprised to see someone already inside. “What brings you by?”
Evie turned around, briefcase in hand. “Business call actually.” As Oliver walked around her, she took a deep breath, excited for what she was going to tell Oliver today. “Tess offered me a job to help revive and rehab LuthorCorp.”
“Really?” Oliver asked as he sat down, gesturing her to follow suit. While he believed in his ex’s turnaround as a person as well as her faith in Evie’s character, he didn’t think that she’d offer Evie the job so fast.
“Since... everything, I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do with my life.” Evie sat down in the chair across from Oliver and pulled her briefcase onto her lap. “I’ve had a lot of dreams in my life, but in the end, helping people, that’s where I’m meant to be.”
Evie opened her briefcase, pulling out the various file folders of profiles that Tess had provided her with in regards to 33.1 inmates. “As you know, Tess and Victor are in progress of shutting down 33.1 around the world.” It may have seemed intrusive to look into their lives, but her intentions were good, and Evie had every intention of destroying the files soon. All it was now was a frame of reference, a way for her to know what to expect by her newest venture. “I may be taking a page out of my cousin’s book, but I turned her down... sort of. I’m looking to start a non-profit, a place where survivors can come to, where they can be heard.”
The next file folder was the primary business projections, the part she wanted Oliver to look over. “I know I’m not the best business mind, but I poured over company numbers with Chloe for about two years so I’m not exactly green either.” Although Evie never saw herself as a difference maker, the fact that Tess thought she was had to count for something. “Tess has agreed to help me out, but I was hoping you’d come onboard too.”
Oliver sat forward in his chair, looking at the various resources in front of him. When her eyes met his, Oliver asked honestly, “What do you need me for?”
Evie shrugged a shoulder. “Advice? Maybe some start-up capital?” She hoped that she would never need the latter, as she had saved most of what Oliver had given her for a rainy day. Even though it turned out that she really needed it for when the storm was over, Evie wanted to know that Oliver had her back in case of any emergency.
“Who would I make the cheque out to?”
With a smile, Evie reached into a folder and pulled out the preliminary notes on the non-profit that she had secretly compiled over the past month. “If I start it, H.O.M.E.” Seeing Oliver’s reaction, Evie smile tugged further. “Help and Opportunities for Metas Everywhere. That, and more than anything... that’s what people like me want.”
“Where are you going to set up... hypothetically?” When he heard a quiet sigh on Evie’s end, Oliver looked up. “I appreciate you consider the league your second family, but you have a real family. A family that probably wants nothing more than to see you.”
Evie had opened her mouth to give a retort, but Oliver quickly added, “I know you’ve had your fill of this conversation, but hear me out.”
She wanted to say no, that she had enough, but Oliver was different; he had no family to fall back on. The team was his family, and that was fine with him, but Evie knew that if Oliver had the opportunity, he wouldn’t hesitate to see his parents again. So she nodded, allowing Oliver to continue.
Grateful for her permission to proceed, Oliver pulled back his chair, allowing for the business side of things to settle and the air of familiarity to arise again. “Victor told me about who you were in 33.1, and I’ve seen you grow.” He remembered the first time he had seen Evie, well, technically the third time according to Evie’s calculations, but there was still a shyness to her character, despite the strength she held for others. Over the years, she had gone over a huge transformation, and Oliver knew it shouldn’t be one that Evie would be ashamed of.
But he still knew the gravity of what she had to do, the band-aid she would have to rip off in order for any normalcy to set in again. “I know it won’t be easy, but they will accept you and love you.”
He saw a small hint of affirmation in her eyes, and Oliver knew not to press further than that, so he took the diplomatic ending. “In the end, it is your decision, and I won’t tell you that you have to do anything, but rather ask that you giving going back an outside chance.”
Seeing her nod, Oliver’s focus went back to her non-profit, but not before he revealed something of his own future. “But if it helps you make your decision, I don’t think I’ll be sticking around for long.”
Evie had been attentively listening, so that comment she hadn’t been expecting. “What?”
“I have to head back to company HQ in California. There have been some complications that I don’t think business trips are going to cover. Not to mention that I think Metropolis is a little small for more than one hero, and I can’t exactly compete with Clark.”
“What about Chloe?”
Oliver sighed before looking up at Evie. “I’m... telling her tonight.” This wasn’t a decision that he wanted her to take lightly, and it was something that he wanted Chloe to hear from him, no matter how nervous it made him wondering about her answer.
Smiling, Evie said easily, “She’d be a fool to say no.” At this point, with everything they had been through, she doubted that Chloe would hesitate to have a fresh start herself now that Evie’s personal mess was over.
Matching her smile, Oliver was glad to hear that from his friend. “I hope you’re right.”
~0~
“New dress?”
Chloe looked up in the mirror, seeing Oliver standing behind her. Smiling, she turned around. “Lois-mandated dress.” An inch shorter than she would like and the neck line was also incredibly debatable, but it was about Lois tonight, so she sucked it up. “Does it look okay?”
Initially, Oliver was wondering if that was a rhetorical question, as it hugged her curves perfectly. Wrapping his arms around her back, he leaned his head down to hers. “I’m not sure I like you going out in it without me... but I am looking forward to taking it off.”
Chloe’s breathing slowed as she felt his breath on her cheek, his words echoing in her ears. No matter how long they had been together, he was way too good at having an effect on her.
However, with that time, she had gotten better at containing her reaction. “Is that so?” she teased, seeing Oliver’s grin widen in response, leading to Chloe biting her lip as she moved his arms off of her. “Well, as much as I’m looking forward to that... it’s going to have to wait. I’m pretty sure that I won’t get to the elevator once we start.”
She tried to walk away, but before she got too far, Oliver pulled her back. Chloe figured that Oliver was willing to test that theory, but instead, he was just looking at her. Eventually, he grinned before saying, “That particular concept is appealing, but actually there was something I was hoping to talk to you about.”
“What’s up?” Chloe waited for a response, but instead, she noticed Oliver lift his hand to play with her hair, causing her to narrow her eyes. “Ollie...”
“It’s not bad,” Oliver replied, slightly pursing his lips. “Or at least, I don’t think it is.”
After a light chuckle, Chloe maintained her gaze. “It always blows my mind that I make you nervous.”
That she did, even if Chloe’s self-confidence wasn’t what it should be. But her words were enough to get Oliver to stop delaying this conversation. “I know this is your home, but I was hoping that maybe... you were open to making Star City your new home.”
Chloe shook her head, as her answer was easy. “Yes.”
“Chloe, this is a big deal.”
“I know it is, but I know what I want.” Glancing out the window, Chloe stepped away from Oliver, recapping her last year in her head. It was tumultuous to say the least, but Chloe had still accomplished plenty. “I had my round at the Daily Planet, and while I established a lot of my past here, besides my childhood home, there’s nothing holding me here. We can run operations in Star City and Lois can visit whenever she wants.” Turning around, she shrugged. “Am I missing anything?”
Oliver laughed as he began to walk towards her, knowing that he had no more reason to question to her decision. “I love you.”
Chloe smiled. “Ah, yes... and I love you.” Tilting her head up, she was ready for Oliver to bring her close and kiss her. As his hands smoothed around her body, she felt the kiss deepen, and a quiet noise escape her as Oliver squeezed her tighter against him.
But soon enough, she felt him backing away. Surprised, she looked at him, smile in place. “Go... or else that dress is coming off.”
Nodding, Chloe leaned up to kiss him one last time before walking around Oliver to pick up her purse. In the doorway, she turned around and smiled at him once more before heading towards the elevator.
~0~
Victor was intent on buying the next round, using the excuse to have some alone time, but of course, Scott being the new guy, offered to help carry. Not wanting to be rude, Victor let him accompany him to the bar, knowing it was likely going to be at least a little awkward.
After voicing his order, Victor turned to lean his back against the bar, refusing to meet the other man’s eye as he said, “I’d be meaning to say thanks... guess now is as good of a time as any.”
“For what exactly?”
Swallowing hard, Victor barely managed to admit, “I’m... glad you’re giving Evie another chance. She deserves someone who accepts her for everything she is.”
Scott’s head jerked back, surprised at the words that Victor had said. Sure, everyone had seemed convinced that Evie and him were destined to get back together, and if Scott had his way, they would be already... but she wasn’t on the same page as everyone else.
Once their beers were placed in front of them, Scott pulled out his wallet to lay some money for the bartender, not caring about the glare the other man was giving him. After everything he put this group through, a round of beers would be the least he could do. The bartender didn’t seem to care, and took Scott’s money before heading back to the next customer.
Turning his head, Scott noticed Victor had grabbed his half and was beginning to head over to the table. Cutting off his path, Scott realized that there was something he had to do and it couldn’t wait any longer. “Do you mind if I offer you some advice?”
“On what?”
“When she finally lets you in, don’t... don’t let her go like I did.” It wasn’t subtle, but Scott wanted it to stick, to make Victor realize that he wasn’t a fool. Scott had been here, trying to put up his best case, against a really good guy at that... but it was clear now; he was always going to be the odd guy out.
Victor, with a well-intact poker face, laughed at his insinuation before walking around Scott. “I think you’ve misunderstood the situation. We’re not...”
“Yet,” Scott interjected, watching Victor stop in his place. “She takes her time, and it’s frustrating, but she’s worth waiting for.”
“We’re friends, always have been.”
It's what everyone told him, including Dinah as she told Scott about everything that Evie and Victor had gone through. It was quite the story, something that Scott could barely believe, even after what he experienced. Bowing his head, Scott smirked as he walked towards the table, but not before one last comment. “That description you just used... it fits you better.”
~0~
While Lois and Dinah were living up the bachelorette party experience, Chloe and Evie sat at a table far enough from the dance floor, sipping their drinks. “I'm wondering if we should start worrying about her now,” Chloe yelled over the loud music booming throughout the club.
After a sip of her drink, Evie shook her head as they both knew Lois was more than capable of handling herself, even when she was drunk. “Hey, be grateful that Dinah’s here or that could be us.”
Fair point, Chloe thought as she looked over to her friend. “Hey, I, um, I’m going back with Oliver to Star City.”
Evie nodded, adding a chuckle at the odd change in conversation, but she was glad to hear that conversation went well. “He told me.... that he was going, but the chances you weren’t going were slim to none. When you allowed yourself, you were happy there.”
“What about you? What do you want?” Seeing her friend’s reaction, Chloe knew this was probably dangerous conversation territory, but Chloe added, “It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re stalling things.”
“Seriously?” Rolling her eyes, Evie felt her gaze wander across the room. “I get a lecture from Oliver and now from you?”
“Hey, I got lectures too. You and I have been about give and take from day one.” Oliver had told Chloe about the non-profit, which sounded like a great idea, but this wasn’t the first time Evie had tried to start over. “Look, I’m glad that your professional life is taking shape, but you’ve quit on dreams before and you’ve given up on relationships before they’ve started. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through... but I want you to promise me that you won’t let life pass you by.”
“I can’t promise that.” Evie bit her tongue hard, wanting to explain everything, but Evie wasn’t even sure that she could. “I think the situation’s a little more complicated than that.”
Reaching over to cover Evie’s shoulder with her hand, Chloe’s expression grew more serious. “Then can you at least talk to me again? Because I know you, and you look just as troubled now than you did last year.”
“I want to Chloe but... ” But the truth was that Chloe was right, however, this wasn't the time or place for this conversation. Poking her straw at the ice in her drink, Evie broke her silence. “It took Oliver and you a year after he got back to figure out a relationship.” Peering up, she asked Chloe, “This is my entire life Chloe, something I didn’t even know that I’d get again. Can’t I get more than a month to figure that out?”
“I don’t think you want to live up to our example.” Chloe scoffed as she thought back at everything that had happened. There’s a part of her that didn’t regret a second, but that didn’t mean some of Chloe wished they handled things better. “It eventually worked out, I know, but people get hurt in the process.”
Choking on her drink, Evie coughed hard as those words sunk in, right before the liquid slowly found its way down her throat. Without thinking, she pushed the chair back, mumbled that she was going to the bathroom, but she had to get out of the club now. It felt like a million voices were in her head and the pounding music was doing nothing to help her headache.
But Chloe wasn’t buying that for a second and once Evie had grabbed her coat, Chloe was standing behind her when she turned around. Noticing how her friend opened her mouth to explain, Chloe interjected.
“You need space... I know.” They had plenty of conversations like this, but Evie had never reacted like this before. Maybe Oliver was right, and she should have avoided this topic, but Chloe also knew that without a push... she wouldn’t do anything. However, Chloe didn’t want to screw up their friendship in doing so. “I just wanted to check that we are still on for coffee tomorrow.”
Evie nodded. “Yeah.”
~0~
Opening the door was a momentary relief for Evie, as she was glad Chloe let her go. Granted, her friend had a valid point, and Evie had tossed her similar questions in the past, but now, it was just infuriating having these conflicting emotions in her head. With every step, that confidence she felt with Oliver earlier was slipping away.
She actually thought life would be easier, but actually have a future ahead made things more difficult. Evie could do whatever she wanted, or so she thought, but what was that? H.O.M.E. was a good start, but there was more to life than a possible career choice.
For one, there was her romantic drama, something Evie never thought would happen to her. She hated it, but Evie had to admit, she was a bit at a loss right now. Years she had either sympathized or chastised women in her situation, yet here she was, in what was a very undesirable situation for her, but she had no choice. No matter how she looked at it, someone was going to get hurt.
She opened the door to their apartment building after a very uneventful walk and was content on just getting over herself and figuring out all this stupid harlequin stuff in the morning. The elevator came quickly, so Evie got in happily and pressed the button for her floor when she heard a familiar voice call out, “Hold the door.”
Evie rolled her eyes as she heard his voice, grateful her face was covered by the elevator. This was the last thing she needed, but right now, there was no way she could avoid it. Reaching out, she stopped the door, waiting as Scott walked into the elevator, eyes widening as he recognized her. “You’re done early.”
“If we went any further, Lois would have passed out,” Evie lied, not really wanting to spill the real reason for her bailing on the bachelorette party.
Standing beside her, Scott laughed as he reached to close the elevator doors. “Well, the groom can’t get drunk and he’s a bit of a kill-joy when it comes to these things.”
Course that wasn’t the whole reason Scott had left. He could handle the family dynamic that the guys had for a couple of hours, but he was clearly the odd one out, so Scott figured a couple extra hours of shut-eye wouldn’t hurt. Seeing Evie in the elevator wasn’t what he expected when he came back, especially considering he had just given up on trying to get her back, so feeling the obvious awkward tension between the two of them wasn’t exactly easy now.
“So no strippers, drugs, and alcohol?” Evie quipped, trying to figure out small talk. Peering in his direction, seeing the expression he was giving her, Evie chuckled for a second. “I’m kidding.”
Scott grinned back as he leaned his head against the elevator, waiting as the number starting to increase. “Pretty low-key - we just watched the ball game at the bar. Weird thing is... you could totally school those guys.”
That comment got Evie to smile a little. “Is there any doubt in that category?”
“Clark was a phenom before his fake knee injury,” Scott pointed out, elbowing her in the side as he teased her.
Evie glared in his direction, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah... but c’mon. That was football, remember?”
Scott played innocently for his little game, shrugging as he looked away from her. “You’ve been out of the circuit for awhile. How do I know that you haven’t lost your touch?”
That was the final straw as far as Evie was concerned, letting out a sarcastic chuckle before smacking his arm with her handbag. However, as she leaned towards him, the elevator shook, causing her to lose her balance.
Scott caught her with ease, but Evie’s breath hitched as she re-found her footing, staring into his eyes with their faces inches from each other. Words were threatening to come out, as even a simple thanks would have sufficed, but no matter how much her lips trembled, no words came out.
Eventually, it was Scott that spoke as the elevator doors opened. “Saved by the bell.” He walked away, hearing Evie catch her breath and waited for a comeback. When it didn’t come, he started to head to the apartment, try to etch the image of what happened out of his head.
“That’s it?”
Searching in his pockets as he stood in front of the door, Scott blurted, “No.” He didn’t like the words he was about to say, but he couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t know that things hadn’t changed for her. Staying here only made things more complicated for her, and Evie deserved better than that. “I’m also packing my things in the morning.”
Evie’s head jerked back, as she hadn’t been expecting that. Sure, she hadn’t made things easy between them, but she hoped he’d stay for the other’s sakes. “But the wedding’s not for a couple days.”
“Yeah,” Scott said, finally finding the key in his pocket, “but I think it’s for the best.” He quickly unlocked the door, and said with a bittersweet smile, “Relax, Chloe gave me her key. How else did you think I got inside the building?”
Swallowing hard as she approached the door, Evie said softly, “I’m sorry.”
After pulling the key out of the door, Scott leaned his forehead against the door, shutting his eyes. “Does he know?”
“What?” Better question was: where the heck did that come from? One minute, they were bantering, the next, their problems on full display, and now… Evie couldn’t pinpoint where he was going with this.
He shook his head as he opened the door, leaving it wide open for Evie to follow. Hearing her footsteps, Scott sighed, telling her that, “I don’t care about it, any of it. But it’s not enough.”
Evie was still facing the door, grateful for that fact after she heard that. She didn’t need any of her powers to know he was disappointed, and she couldn’t blame him. He was right, but that didn’t make finding answers any easier. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Scott rolled his eyes at her stubbornness as he continued to walk towards the bedroom, ready to give up, but instead he stopped, looked up, and blurted, “It scares you, doesn’t it?”
“What?” Evie whispered back as she had finally turned away from the door.
“The idea of something that’s more than temporary in your life.” Scott turned around, stormed back to within a couple feet of Evie and told her, “You let this secret, your past, you let it consume you and now you can’t even let yourself have your own life.”
Evie took a step back, caught off-guard by the tone in his voice, but also by his proximity. “That’s not true.”
Scott just scoffed. “Chloe and Oliver are leaving to Star City, Lois and Clark are set up in Metropolis. Do you really plan to be a barista for the rest of your life?” Taking a deep breath, he grinned as he remembered the first time he saw her. “When I met you, you had this spark in your eyes, this anticipation for the world ahead of you.” He remembered the way Evie talked about her dreams, as unknown to him at the time, she was literally starting again.
Soon enough, the grin on his face wore away, a neutral expression taking its place. “But it faded and you pushed everyone away.” For what felt like the millionth time since he walked in the door, Scott rolled his eyes. “Looking back, it was a miracle that you even let me in.”
All of what Scott had said had merit, every word. However, that didn’t stop Evie from glaring at him. Since they met, Evie had barely been the pursuer. Scott had always insisted on getting to know her, and it was always Scott that found a way back into her life. Biting her lip to hold back a little of her frustration, Evie retorted, “If you know me so well, then why do you keep coming back?”
He had an answer for that all ready, it was the easiest thing he had to say since getting into the elevator. “You know what they say about absence and the heart.”
Not really thinking about her response, Evie scoffed. “That it sucks?”
Scott laughed, as for once, he was the one caught off-guard by her words. For so long, she played it safe, with the exception of a couple light banters, covered quickly by her own walls, but this was the first time she said something he believed. “Actually, that’s more appropriate than what they say.”
She wanted to smile, but Evie knew that she couldn’t give what he wanted. Not only that, but she had caused enough devastation in his life that she didn’t want to risk doing any more. “You could have anybody,” Evie said, biting her tongue hard as she felt tears coming, “and you -”
“Did you know that I almost bought a ticket to Metropolis twice before, just to get you back?”
No, but why would she? Evie had been so focused on his most recent activity that the idea Scott would ever want her back before all this kind of blew her mind, even with John trusting her to fix things. “Why?”
With that single word, Scott realized that Evie had no idea how much she meant to him, even now. “Because...I realized that you were my biggest mistake. Letting you get on that plane was the worst mistake I ever made.”
“But what you don’t realize is, Evie, Emily.... Echo?” He grinned after saying the last one, hoping for a hint of humour in her expression, but Evie still had her walls up. “Whatever name you decide on, I don’t expect everything to magically fall back into place. I just want you to be happy... and trust me again, if it’s not too much.”
“How can you say all this when you don’t even know me? I don’t even know me.”
“Then allow me to fill in the blanks from here. Evie,” he emphasized with a smirk, letting the name truly sink in, “you’re brave when no one’s looking, kind almost to a fault, with absolutely no faith in yourself, despite your blind faith in others.”
Evie opened her mouth to interrupt, but Scott stopped her. “Ah ah ah… let me finish.”
“You’re a sports aficionado, a hero... and you’ve got the most beautiful smile when you let the world see it. And you’ve got a guy who loves you... and everything tells me that you love him too.” Taking a breath, this was the hard part for Scott to admit, but it had to be done. Evie had to know that he had figured out everything. “It’s just not me.”
Her mouth gaped open, and then suddenly, everything that Scott had done in the past couple weeks had made sense. They were tests, every single one, to see how she felt about him, and instead of trying to keep from hurting his feelings by appearing neutral, he had determined her exact situation. “Scott...I can... I mean...”
Reaching out to touch her shoulder with his hand, Scott stopped her incomplete thoughts. “It’s okay, really.” Retracting his hand, Scott turned around, having a feeling that he’ll sleep much better now. But within a couple of steps, he stopped again. “Just...don’t wait so long. He won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure that Victor’s waiting for you.”
Evie had watched his eyes as he admitted everything, the way he walked away from her, and it hurt a lot, but Scott had seemed stronger about the whole thing than she could have imagined. But there was one thing that was plaguing her. “How come you can see it?”
He had been in her life again for two months, and this was something that she hadn’t told anyone, yet he called Evie on it, right in front of her face, with no hesitation in his voice.
Scott grinned momentarily before turning his head back to look at her. “I may not have known your deepest darkest secrets... but I lived with you. That came with a way to read you, a way to understand you better.” He bit his tongue, reminding him of the first time he had seen Evie look at Victor. “The way you look at him... you can just see it, and after everything life’s tossed your way...” Scott’s voice trailed as he met Evie’s eyes, full of confusion, so he just smiled. “It’s actually really hard not to be happy for both of you.”
Evie nodded, as she continued to process everything in her head. But upon seeing Scott open the bedroom door, Evie stepped forward, wanting to say one last thing. “Just... I know it’s hard, but stay.” Scott had thankfully stopped, likely confused by her words too, but Evie pressed on, knowing that she’d feel terrible for being the reason that Scott missed something that he could probably use in his life. Happiness, even if on the surface, it was someone else’s. “Stay for everyone else. We can make this work, I know we can.”
Scott grinned again, grateful for the effort on her part, and oddly, that was enough for him. “Okay.”
Part 2
.
serafina19
Title: Fighting Echoes
Summary: As identities and affiliations are exposed, the Justice League begins to form. But once an old foe re-emerges and raises the stakes, Evie is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect everyone she cares about. Sequel to “Notbroken,” and the final multi-chapter in the "Calendar Girl" verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Coarse language, violence and adult content.
Special thanks to:
552158 for the amazing banners that I couldn’t stop admiring when you sent them to me. Also, big love to
slytherinpunk, without you, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to try this.
August p.1 August p.2 September p.1 September p.2 October p.1 October p.2 October p.3 November p.1 November p.2 December p.1 December p.2 January p.1 January p.2 February p.1 February p.2 March April May June p.1 June p.2
July
July 1
Carrying her groceries in her hands, Evie turned the corner towards her apartment door, but she felt herself pause when she saw Victor leaving. It had been two days since she had seen him, so Evie was wondering why he was here.
Looking up after he locked the door behind him, Victor smirked at her. “Hey, I was just dropping something off.”
She tried to match his expression, but she couldn’t, settling on pursing her lips at his comment. Dipping her head, Evie muttered, “Right.” She wasn’t an idiot, as Victor had been rushing off the moment he saw her, so there was no reason to think this time was any different.
Only it was, leading to Victor grabbing her arm when she was next to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The contact had caught her off-guard, causing one of her bags to fall to the ground. She wanted to pick it up, but Victor wasn’t letting her go, his eyes serious as she glanced at him. So Evie answered his question with her own. “Were you ever going to tell me that you were shot?” One look at his face and Evie had her answer, and his grip loosened on her.
“Bart told you, didn’t he?” Victor asked, closing his eyes, not ever wanting her to know about this, to worry about this. But once he opened them again, Evie was standing again, and Victor knew that was the wrong thing to say.
“So what if he did? It was clear that you were never going to.” Even worse that even after Evie had called him on his omission; Victor didn’t even try to explain himself. Walking past him, she wanted to slam her fist against the door as she stood in front of it. The only reason she didn’t was because she finally heard his voice again.
“It didn’t matter.”
Shaking her head, Evie bit her tongue to keep herself from letting out a dry chuckle. “That’s where you’re wrong.” Her head falling to lean against the door, she turned it enough to look at him, standing close to her, but his back still turned. “You’re being a hypocrite and you know it." She heard his footsteps, so Evie brought her head up once more, surprised to see that Victor had turned around, not walked away. "You used to trust me and while I know that I’m mostly to blame for that, this... sucks.”
And as much as she wanted to be the one who walked away this time, Evie pulled herself together and faced him. This may be her chance to have Victor hear her out and she wasn’t going to squander that. “I’m sorry,” Evie started, hoping an apology was going to be enough, “I crossed the line, using my ability on you and I’ve regretted it every minute since.” Everything else was secondary was at this point, because she valued Victor too much in her life. Acting that way around him just a few minutes ago hurt too much. So if one particular admission would have to fade into the background, Evie could live with that. “Can you find a way to forgive me?”
Victor was speechless. He had come to apologize for his complete pettiness and cowardice, yet here she was, wanting forgiveness for something that he learned to understand. “You’re right, I should have told you, but I thought you had more important things to worry about.”
Placing his palm carefully over his shirt, knowing the scar that remained underneath, Victor quickly re-lived the moments in his head. There was a short period that he thought that he would be Evie’s last sacrifice, but in a way, preventing that was why he fought. “It wasn’t pretty, but Emil did a great job fixing me up.”
After that, among other things, Victor lost himself in the cause, believing that his place in her life was to help her behind the scenes like before. Seeing her now, it was clear that Bart was right. Things weren’t perfect between them now, but it was far from the fragmented state that he made her feel. “To answer your question, I understand why you did what you did, so there is nothing to forgive.”
Taking a deep breath, Evie knew that Victor was telling her the truth, which was a huge relief. “Okay.”
He could see Evie relaxing, so Victor risked a smile, hoping that this was the start of him mending what he had done. “I actually do have to leave, but...Evie, I’m really sorry too.”
“Okay,” she repeated, taking the apology... and the smile as a small victory and let him go. Turning towards her door once more, she unlocked it, intent on putting her groceries away, but once again, she stopped upon seeing what was in front of her. The least Victor could have done was tell her what he was dropping off, but as she abandoned her bags at the doorway to approach her kitchen table, Evie felt a genuine smile form.
Touching her fingertips to the lily petals, her eyes took notice of the card in front of them. Actually, it was just a piece of paper folded in quarters, her name written in his handwriting on the front, but Evie didn’t care about semantics. She didn’t have to open it to realize that the Victor she remembered was back.
Evie,
It’s a few months late, but happy birthday. However, I can officially say that half of the 33.1 facilities have been emptied. Every person will begin to their lives freely and we will continue to support them where we can. We won't stop until every last one is shut down, but all this would have been impossible without you... so know that as scared as you are to taking that step towards a new life, that you’ve saved more lives than I ever could express.
I know you’re struggling with everything, but I want you to know that I’m here for you when you figure things out. I know I’ve been difficult lately, so I’m hoping that this will do something to appease my behaviour.
Victor
It was a start, and Evie could live with that. The progress on shutting down 33.1 was a huge accomplishment, but she wasn’t sure that she played that big of a part, which reminded her of the offer Tess had given her. Evie had to admit, it was tempting, but she couldn’t help but think that there was something else out there waiting for her to explore.
Sure, her career options had varied, but now was different. Now, she could be anything and Evie wanted to ensure she made the right call. At least now she knew that she had the rock in her life again when she was ready for that endeavour.
Putting the card down, she took one last look at the flowers before turning back to put away her groceries. One bag at a time, she put away everything, not even realizing that she left her door wide open. Rolling her eyes, Evie went to close it, but she didn’t get there before someone else entered the apartment.
She was going to make a quip about her being popular today until she noticed just who was at her door. Her mouth gaped open as she took in his appearance and Evie felt her face light up as she found her words. “You’re... walking.” Not only that, but he also looked like himself, as the bruises had finally faded.
“That I am,” Scott replied as he entered the apartment fully, finding Evie's smile infectious as he couldn't help but grin back. “You look great.”
Evie blushed slightly, her head dipping slightly as Chloe joined them, slipping her phone into her purse. “Hey! Emil cleared him for non-strenuous activity and I figured we all could get a coffee to celebrate. You in?”
Nodding, Evie picked up her purse. “Lead the way.”
“Sorry,” Scott said quickly before Evie reached the door, “do you mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Straight down that way.”
Scott grinned, turning to head in the direction Evie was pointing, but when he noticed that they weren’t heading out, he stopped. “No reason for you two to wait for me... I’ll lock up.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key Chloe lent him when Oliver called her in the elevator.
Fortunately, they listened to him, closing the door behind him. Now alone, Scott walked over to the table, picking up the card, having a pretty good idea who wrote it.
~0~
While the girls were getting refills on their respective coffees, Oliver sat across the table from Scott, noticing his defeated body language that he was trying to hide. “How’re the ribs?”
“Sore, but Emil said I should be good to go back in a couple days.” Chuckling lightly, he looked up at Oliver. “Don’t suppose I could borrow that jet of yours and save on airfare?” It was a stretch at best, Scott knew that, but he figured at this point, it may be best for him to leave sooner than later.
“You’re leaving already?” Oliver’s eyes narrowed as he moved forward in his chair, lowering his voice as he added, “I thought I heard Lois say you were welcome to come to the wedding.”
“I appreciate the invite, but I don’t think it’s the best idea if I stick around here.” Scott scoffed at the implication as he drubbed his fingers on the table. “I think I make her feel more guilty than she already does.”
Peering towards where the girls were standing, Scott caught Evie’s eye as she turned around in line. She smiled at him, just like she used to, and again, he couldn’t hold his smile back. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t miss her, and the fact that he would be leaving alone didn’t sit well with him. But he also knew her, knew her well enough to know it this time was different.
Turning his gaze back to Oliver, who was eyeing Scott curiously after the exchange between the two, causing Scott to shrug casually. “I thought we could turn back the clock, but there's someone..” Stopping suddenly, remembering that this was some sort of crazy secret, Scott went in a different direction. “I mean, there’s the issue of me lacking a tux. These are pretty much the only clothes I have.”
Oliver immediately noticed the pause and mentally filled in the blanks. It didn't surprise him that Scott managed to figure that out, and Oliver understood why he wanted to leave, but he still replied, “I think I can introduce you to a tailor.” Things were strained, but they needed that closure before Evie moved on, if she ever let herself that is.
Seeing Evie and Chloe approaching their table again, Oliver looked up at his girlfriend. “Hey,” he said, wrapping his arm around Chloe’s shoulder once she sat down next to him. “I figured that Scott might be sick of staying in Watchtower, so I told him that he could use the guest bedroom while he’s here, is that okay with you?”
Chloe nodded as she sipped her coffee. “Works for me.” After putting her cup down, Chloe took a quick look at the people with her right now. With the four of them, it almost felt like old times at SCU, when life was easier, simpler. It was a welcome change of pace considering the last few months.
However, when the silence wore on, Evie looked back-and-forth between the two, surprised at how nonchalant they were about this. “Seriously?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her mouth gaped momentarily, as Evie chose her words carefully. “I was just… there’s no reason for him to be constant interruptus for you two.” Turning to look at Scott, she shrugged slightly. “You could stay with me if you wanted.” After all, it wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before and she knew that they still needed to talk before Scott left again.
Scott subtly looked at Oliver before giving Evie a questioning look. “Really?” Glancing at the blonde couple across the table, he couldn’t resist asking, “Is it that bad?”
Staring at her cup, Evie blurted before Chloe could interject, “Our sex life was the equivalent of Sesame Street next to these two.”
Scott’s eyes practically bulged out of his head upon hearing that statement, as Evie wasn’t exactly the one to share that kind of information, but his reaction was covered by Chloe leaning across the table to slap Evie’s arm. “Hey!”
Evie’s hands immediately went up in defence. “You compare notes with Lois, and she tells me everything, this is the closest I’m getting to payback.”
That comment got Oliver’s attention as he leaned forward. “You compare notes?”
Refusing to meet his stare, Chloe casually glanced away as she found the easiest excuse possible. “It’s a girl thing.”
Evie wasn’t letting her play it that subtle as she looked back up again, folding her arms on the table and looking straight at Oliver. “Chloe talk for you having nothing to worry about.”
Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again as he looked over at Chloe whose cheeks resembled cherries. Evie knew she would likely pay for this, but she didn’t care. Hours upon hours of Lois chatting up Evie about things that weren’t her business had gotten to her, and while it wasn’t likely the best timing, it was one of those mornings that Evie’s subtlety went out the window.
Instead, it was Scott that spoke, “And on that note, how about we take that coffee to go?” Before she had a chance to react, she felt Scott grab her hand, quickly taking her out of the cafe.
Watching the brunettes leave, Chloe wanted to say something along the lines that Evie wouldn’t get away with what she did that easily, but when she saw the two laughing outside, her expression softened.
“Well, that’s progress.” She heard Oliver clear his throat next to her, so she turned and watched him raise an eyebrow. “Like Evie said, you have nothing to worry about.”
“That’s all I need to know.” However, his smile fell fast as he realized that he couldn’t avoid this anymore. “But there’s something I need to tell you.”
July 8
Entering his office, Oliver was surprised to see someone already inside. “What brings you by?”
Evie turned around, briefcase in hand. “Business call actually.” As Oliver walked around her, she took a deep breath, excited for what she was going to tell Oliver today. “Tess offered me a job to help revive and rehab LuthorCorp.”
“Really?” Oliver asked as he sat down, gesturing her to follow suit. While he believed in his ex’s turnaround as a person as well as her faith in Evie’s character, he didn’t think that she’d offer Evie the job so fast.
“Since... everything, I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do with my life.” Evie sat down in the chair across from Oliver and pulled her briefcase onto her lap. “I’ve had a lot of dreams in my life, but in the end, helping people, that’s where I’m meant to be.”
Evie opened her briefcase, pulling out the various file folders of profiles that Tess had provided her with in regards to 33.1 inmates. “As you know, Tess and Victor are in progress of shutting down 33.1 around the world.” It may have seemed intrusive to look into their lives, but her intentions were good, and Evie had every intention of destroying the files soon. All it was now was a frame of reference, a way for her to know what to expect by her newest venture. “I may be taking a page out of my cousin’s book, but I turned her down... sort of. I’m looking to start a non-profit, a place where survivors can come to, where they can be heard.”
The next file folder was the primary business projections, the part she wanted Oliver to look over. “I know I’m not the best business mind, but I poured over company numbers with Chloe for about two years so I’m not exactly green either.” Although Evie never saw herself as a difference maker, the fact that Tess thought she was had to count for something. “Tess has agreed to help me out, but I was hoping you’d come onboard too.”
Oliver sat forward in his chair, looking at the various resources in front of him. When her eyes met his, Oliver asked honestly, “What do you need me for?”
Evie shrugged a shoulder. “Advice? Maybe some start-up capital?” She hoped that she would never need the latter, as she had saved most of what Oliver had given her for a rainy day. Even though it turned out that she really needed it for when the storm was over, Evie wanted to know that Oliver had her back in case of any emergency.
“Who would I make the cheque out to?”
With a smile, Evie reached into a folder and pulled out the preliminary notes on the non-profit that she had secretly compiled over the past month. “If I start it, H.O.M.E.” Seeing Oliver’s reaction, Evie smile tugged further. “Help and Opportunities for Metas Everywhere. That, and more than anything... that’s what people like me want.”
“Where are you going to set up... hypothetically?” When he heard a quiet sigh on Evie’s end, Oliver looked up. “I appreciate you consider the league your second family, but you have a real family. A family that probably wants nothing more than to see you.”
Evie had opened her mouth to give a retort, but Oliver quickly added, “I know you’ve had your fill of this conversation, but hear me out.”
She wanted to say no, that she had enough, but Oliver was different; he had no family to fall back on. The team was his family, and that was fine with him, but Evie knew that if Oliver had the opportunity, he wouldn’t hesitate to see his parents again. So she nodded, allowing Oliver to continue.
Grateful for her permission to proceed, Oliver pulled back his chair, allowing for the business side of things to settle and the air of familiarity to arise again. “Victor told me about who you were in 33.1, and I’ve seen you grow.” He remembered the first time he had seen Evie, well, technically the third time according to Evie’s calculations, but there was still a shyness to her character, despite the strength she held for others. Over the years, she had gone over a huge transformation, and Oliver knew it shouldn’t be one that Evie would be ashamed of.
But he still knew the gravity of what she had to do, the band-aid she would have to rip off in order for any normalcy to set in again. “I know it won’t be easy, but they will accept you and love you.”
He saw a small hint of affirmation in her eyes, and Oliver knew not to press further than that, so he took the diplomatic ending. “In the end, it is your decision, and I won’t tell you that you have to do anything, but rather ask that you giving going back an outside chance.”
Seeing her nod, Oliver’s focus went back to her non-profit, but not before he revealed something of his own future. “But if it helps you make your decision, I don’t think I’ll be sticking around for long.”
Evie had been attentively listening, so that comment she hadn’t been expecting. “What?”
“I have to head back to company HQ in California. There have been some complications that I don’t think business trips are going to cover. Not to mention that I think Metropolis is a little small for more than one hero, and I can’t exactly compete with Clark.”
“What about Chloe?”
Oliver sighed before looking up at Evie. “I’m... telling her tonight.” This wasn’t a decision that he wanted her to take lightly, and it was something that he wanted Chloe to hear from him, no matter how nervous it made him wondering about her answer.
Smiling, Evie said easily, “She’d be a fool to say no.” At this point, with everything they had been through, she doubted that Chloe would hesitate to have a fresh start herself now that Evie’s personal mess was over.
Matching her smile, Oliver was glad to hear that from his friend. “I hope you’re right.”
~0~
“New dress?”
Chloe looked up in the mirror, seeing Oliver standing behind her. Smiling, she turned around. “Lois-mandated dress.” An inch shorter than she would like and the neck line was also incredibly debatable, but it was about Lois tonight, so she sucked it up. “Does it look okay?”
Initially, Oliver was wondering if that was a rhetorical question, as it hugged her curves perfectly. Wrapping his arms around her back, he leaned his head down to hers. “I’m not sure I like you going out in it without me... but I am looking forward to taking it off.”
Chloe’s breathing slowed as she felt his breath on her cheek, his words echoing in her ears. No matter how long they had been together, he was way too good at having an effect on her.
However, with that time, she had gotten better at containing her reaction. “Is that so?” she teased, seeing Oliver’s grin widen in response, leading to Chloe biting her lip as she moved his arms off of her. “Well, as much as I’m looking forward to that... it’s going to have to wait. I’m pretty sure that I won’t get to the elevator once we start.”
She tried to walk away, but before she got too far, Oliver pulled her back. Chloe figured that Oliver was willing to test that theory, but instead, he was just looking at her. Eventually, he grinned before saying, “That particular concept is appealing, but actually there was something I was hoping to talk to you about.”
“What’s up?” Chloe waited for a response, but instead, she noticed Oliver lift his hand to play with her hair, causing her to narrow her eyes. “Ollie...”
“It’s not bad,” Oliver replied, slightly pursing his lips. “Or at least, I don’t think it is.”
After a light chuckle, Chloe maintained her gaze. “It always blows my mind that I make you nervous.”
That she did, even if Chloe’s self-confidence wasn’t what it should be. But her words were enough to get Oliver to stop delaying this conversation. “I know this is your home, but I was hoping that maybe... you were open to making Star City your new home.”
Chloe shook her head, as her answer was easy. “Yes.”
“Chloe, this is a big deal.”
“I know it is, but I know what I want.” Glancing out the window, Chloe stepped away from Oliver, recapping her last year in her head. It was tumultuous to say the least, but Chloe had still accomplished plenty. “I had my round at the Daily Planet, and while I established a lot of my past here, besides my childhood home, there’s nothing holding me here. We can run operations in Star City and Lois can visit whenever she wants.” Turning around, she shrugged. “Am I missing anything?”
Oliver laughed as he began to walk towards her, knowing that he had no more reason to question to her decision. “I love you.”
Chloe smiled. “Ah, yes... and I love you.” Tilting her head up, she was ready for Oliver to bring her close and kiss her. As his hands smoothed around her body, she felt the kiss deepen, and a quiet noise escape her as Oliver squeezed her tighter against him.
But soon enough, she felt him backing away. Surprised, she looked at him, smile in place. “Go... or else that dress is coming off.”
Nodding, Chloe leaned up to kiss him one last time before walking around Oliver to pick up her purse. In the doorway, she turned around and smiled at him once more before heading towards the elevator.
~0~
Victor was intent on buying the next round, using the excuse to have some alone time, but of course, Scott being the new guy, offered to help carry. Not wanting to be rude, Victor let him accompany him to the bar, knowing it was likely going to be at least a little awkward.
After voicing his order, Victor turned to lean his back against the bar, refusing to meet the other man’s eye as he said, “I’d be meaning to say thanks... guess now is as good of a time as any.”
“For what exactly?”
Swallowing hard, Victor barely managed to admit, “I’m... glad you’re giving Evie another chance. She deserves someone who accepts her for everything she is.”
Scott’s head jerked back, surprised at the words that Victor had said. Sure, everyone had seemed convinced that Evie and him were destined to get back together, and if Scott had his way, they would be already... but she wasn’t on the same page as everyone else.
Once their beers were placed in front of them, Scott pulled out his wallet to lay some money for the bartender, not caring about the glare the other man was giving him. After everything he put this group through, a round of beers would be the least he could do. The bartender didn’t seem to care, and took Scott’s money before heading back to the next customer.
Turning his head, Scott noticed Victor had grabbed his half and was beginning to head over to the table. Cutting off his path, Scott realized that there was something he had to do and it couldn’t wait any longer. “Do you mind if I offer you some advice?”
“On what?”
“When she finally lets you in, don’t... don’t let her go like I did.” It wasn’t subtle, but Scott wanted it to stick, to make Victor realize that he wasn’t a fool. Scott had been here, trying to put up his best case, against a really good guy at that... but it was clear now; he was always going to be the odd guy out.
Victor, with a well-intact poker face, laughed at his insinuation before walking around Scott. “I think you’ve misunderstood the situation. We’re not...”
“Yet,” Scott interjected, watching Victor stop in his place. “She takes her time, and it’s frustrating, but she’s worth waiting for.”
“We’re friends, always have been.”
It's what everyone told him, including Dinah as she told Scott about everything that Evie and Victor had gone through. It was quite the story, something that Scott could barely believe, even after what he experienced. Bowing his head, Scott smirked as he walked towards the table, but not before one last comment. “That description you just used... it fits you better.”
~0~
While Lois and Dinah were living up the bachelorette party experience, Chloe and Evie sat at a table far enough from the dance floor, sipping their drinks. “I'm wondering if we should start worrying about her now,” Chloe yelled over the loud music booming throughout the club.
After a sip of her drink, Evie shook her head as they both knew Lois was more than capable of handling herself, even when she was drunk. “Hey, be grateful that Dinah’s here or that could be us.”
Fair point, Chloe thought as she looked over to her friend. “Hey, I, um, I’m going back with Oliver to Star City.”
Evie nodded, adding a chuckle at the odd change in conversation, but she was glad to hear that conversation went well. “He told me.... that he was going, but the chances you weren’t going were slim to none. When you allowed yourself, you were happy there.”
“What about you? What do you want?” Seeing her friend’s reaction, Chloe knew this was probably dangerous conversation territory, but Chloe added, “It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re stalling things.”
“Seriously?” Rolling her eyes, Evie felt her gaze wander across the room. “I get a lecture from Oliver and now from you?”
“Hey, I got lectures too. You and I have been about give and take from day one.” Oliver had told Chloe about the non-profit, which sounded like a great idea, but this wasn’t the first time Evie had tried to start over. “Look, I’m glad that your professional life is taking shape, but you’ve quit on dreams before and you’ve given up on relationships before they’ve started. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through... but I want you to promise me that you won’t let life pass you by.”
“I can’t promise that.” Evie bit her tongue hard, wanting to explain everything, but Evie wasn’t even sure that she could. “I think the situation’s a little more complicated than that.”
Reaching over to cover Evie’s shoulder with her hand, Chloe’s expression grew more serious. “Then can you at least talk to me again? Because I know you, and you look just as troubled now than you did last year.”
“I want to Chloe but... ” But the truth was that Chloe was right, however, this wasn't the time or place for this conversation. Poking her straw at the ice in her drink, Evie broke her silence. “It took Oliver and you a year after he got back to figure out a relationship.” Peering up, she asked Chloe, “This is my entire life Chloe, something I didn’t even know that I’d get again. Can’t I get more than a month to figure that out?”
“I don’t think you want to live up to our example.” Chloe scoffed as she thought back at everything that had happened. There’s a part of her that didn’t regret a second, but that didn’t mean some of Chloe wished they handled things better. “It eventually worked out, I know, but people get hurt in the process.”
Choking on her drink, Evie coughed hard as those words sunk in, right before the liquid slowly found its way down her throat. Without thinking, she pushed the chair back, mumbled that she was going to the bathroom, but she had to get out of the club now. It felt like a million voices were in her head and the pounding music was doing nothing to help her headache.
But Chloe wasn’t buying that for a second and once Evie had grabbed her coat, Chloe was standing behind her when she turned around. Noticing how her friend opened her mouth to explain, Chloe interjected.
“You need space... I know.” They had plenty of conversations like this, but Evie had never reacted like this before. Maybe Oliver was right, and she should have avoided this topic, but Chloe also knew that without a push... she wouldn’t do anything. However, Chloe didn’t want to screw up their friendship in doing so. “I just wanted to check that we are still on for coffee tomorrow.”
Evie nodded. “Yeah.”
~0~
Opening the door was a momentary relief for Evie, as she was glad Chloe let her go. Granted, her friend had a valid point, and Evie had tossed her similar questions in the past, but now, it was just infuriating having these conflicting emotions in her head. With every step, that confidence she felt with Oliver earlier was slipping away.
She actually thought life would be easier, but actually have a future ahead made things more difficult. Evie could do whatever she wanted, or so she thought, but what was that? H.O.M.E. was a good start, but there was more to life than a possible career choice.
For one, there was her romantic drama, something Evie never thought would happen to her. She hated it, but Evie had to admit, she was a bit at a loss right now. Years she had either sympathized or chastised women in her situation, yet here she was, in what was a very undesirable situation for her, but she had no choice. No matter how she looked at it, someone was going to get hurt.
She opened the door to their apartment building after a very uneventful walk and was content on just getting over herself and figuring out all this stupid harlequin stuff in the morning. The elevator came quickly, so Evie got in happily and pressed the button for her floor when she heard a familiar voice call out, “Hold the door.”
Evie rolled her eyes as she heard his voice, grateful her face was covered by the elevator. This was the last thing she needed, but right now, there was no way she could avoid it. Reaching out, she stopped the door, waiting as Scott walked into the elevator, eyes widening as he recognized her. “You’re done early.”
“If we went any further, Lois would have passed out,” Evie lied, not really wanting to spill the real reason for her bailing on the bachelorette party.
Standing beside her, Scott laughed as he reached to close the elevator doors. “Well, the groom can’t get drunk and he’s a bit of a kill-joy when it comes to these things.”
Course that wasn’t the whole reason Scott had left. He could handle the family dynamic that the guys had for a couple of hours, but he was clearly the odd one out, so Scott figured a couple extra hours of shut-eye wouldn’t hurt. Seeing Evie in the elevator wasn’t what he expected when he came back, especially considering he had just given up on trying to get her back, so feeling the obvious awkward tension between the two of them wasn’t exactly easy now.
“So no strippers, drugs, and alcohol?” Evie quipped, trying to figure out small talk. Peering in his direction, seeing the expression he was giving her, Evie chuckled for a second. “I’m kidding.”
Scott grinned back as he leaned his head against the elevator, waiting as the number starting to increase. “Pretty low-key - we just watched the ball game at the bar. Weird thing is... you could totally school those guys.”
That comment got Evie to smile a little. “Is there any doubt in that category?”
“Clark was a phenom before his fake knee injury,” Scott pointed out, elbowing her in the side as he teased her.
Evie glared in his direction, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah... but c’mon. That was football, remember?”
Scott played innocently for his little game, shrugging as he looked away from her. “You’ve been out of the circuit for awhile. How do I know that you haven’t lost your touch?”
That was the final straw as far as Evie was concerned, letting out a sarcastic chuckle before smacking his arm with her handbag. However, as she leaned towards him, the elevator shook, causing her to lose her balance.
Scott caught her with ease, but Evie’s breath hitched as she re-found her footing, staring into his eyes with their faces inches from each other. Words were threatening to come out, as even a simple thanks would have sufficed, but no matter how much her lips trembled, no words came out.
Eventually, it was Scott that spoke as the elevator doors opened. “Saved by the bell.” He walked away, hearing Evie catch her breath and waited for a comeback. When it didn’t come, he started to head to the apartment, try to etch the image of what happened out of his head.
“That’s it?”
Searching in his pockets as he stood in front of the door, Scott blurted, “No.” He didn’t like the words he was about to say, but he couldn’t do this anymore. He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t know that things hadn’t changed for her. Staying here only made things more complicated for her, and Evie deserved better than that. “I’m also packing my things in the morning.”
Evie’s head jerked back, as she hadn’t been expecting that. Sure, she hadn’t made things easy between them, but she hoped he’d stay for the other’s sakes. “But the wedding’s not for a couple days.”
“Yeah,” Scott said, finally finding the key in his pocket, “but I think it’s for the best.” He quickly unlocked the door, and said with a bittersweet smile, “Relax, Chloe gave me her key. How else did you think I got inside the building?”
Swallowing hard as she approached the door, Evie said softly, “I’m sorry.”
After pulling the key out of the door, Scott leaned his forehead against the door, shutting his eyes. “Does he know?”
“What?” Better question was: where the heck did that come from? One minute, they were bantering, the next, their problems on full display, and now… Evie couldn’t pinpoint where he was going with this.
He shook his head as he opened the door, leaving it wide open for Evie to follow. Hearing her footsteps, Scott sighed, telling her that, “I don’t care about it, any of it. But it’s not enough.”
Evie was still facing the door, grateful for that fact after she heard that. She didn’t need any of her powers to know he was disappointed, and she couldn’t blame him. He was right, but that didn’t make finding answers any easier. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Scott rolled his eyes at her stubbornness as he continued to walk towards the bedroom, ready to give up, but instead he stopped, looked up, and blurted, “It scares you, doesn’t it?”
“What?” Evie whispered back as she had finally turned away from the door.
“The idea of something that’s more than temporary in your life.” Scott turned around, stormed back to within a couple feet of Evie and told her, “You let this secret, your past, you let it consume you and now you can’t even let yourself have your own life.”
Evie took a step back, caught off-guard by the tone in his voice, but also by his proximity. “That’s not true.”
Scott just scoffed. “Chloe and Oliver are leaving to Star City, Lois and Clark are set up in Metropolis. Do you really plan to be a barista for the rest of your life?” Taking a deep breath, he grinned as he remembered the first time he saw her. “When I met you, you had this spark in your eyes, this anticipation for the world ahead of you.” He remembered the way Evie talked about her dreams, as unknown to him at the time, she was literally starting again.
Soon enough, the grin on his face wore away, a neutral expression taking its place. “But it faded and you pushed everyone away.” For what felt like the millionth time since he walked in the door, Scott rolled his eyes. “Looking back, it was a miracle that you even let me in.”
All of what Scott had said had merit, every word. However, that didn’t stop Evie from glaring at him. Since they met, Evie had barely been the pursuer. Scott had always insisted on getting to know her, and it was always Scott that found a way back into her life. Biting her lip to hold back a little of her frustration, Evie retorted, “If you know me so well, then why do you keep coming back?”
He had an answer for that all ready, it was the easiest thing he had to say since getting into the elevator. “You know what they say about absence and the heart.”
Not really thinking about her response, Evie scoffed. “That it sucks?”
Scott laughed, as for once, he was the one caught off-guard by her words. For so long, she played it safe, with the exception of a couple light banters, covered quickly by her own walls, but this was the first time she said something he believed. “Actually, that’s more appropriate than what they say.”
She wanted to smile, but Evie knew that she couldn’t give what he wanted. Not only that, but she had caused enough devastation in his life that she didn’t want to risk doing any more. “You could have anybody,” Evie said, biting her tongue hard as she felt tears coming, “and you -”
“Did you know that I almost bought a ticket to Metropolis twice before, just to get you back?”
No, but why would she? Evie had been so focused on his most recent activity that the idea Scott would ever want her back before all this kind of blew her mind, even with John trusting her to fix things. “Why?”
With that single word, Scott realized that Evie had no idea how much she meant to him, even now. “Because...I realized that you were my biggest mistake. Letting you get on that plane was the worst mistake I ever made.”
“But what you don’t realize is, Evie, Emily.... Echo?” He grinned after saying the last one, hoping for a hint of humour in her expression, but Evie still had her walls up. “Whatever name you decide on, I don’t expect everything to magically fall back into place. I just want you to be happy... and trust me again, if it’s not too much.”
“How can you say all this when you don’t even know me? I don’t even know me.”
“Then allow me to fill in the blanks from here. Evie,” he emphasized with a smirk, letting the name truly sink in, “you’re brave when no one’s looking, kind almost to a fault, with absolutely no faith in yourself, despite your blind faith in others.”
Evie opened her mouth to interrupt, but Scott stopped her. “Ah ah ah… let me finish.”
“You’re a sports aficionado, a hero... and you’ve got the most beautiful smile when you let the world see it. And you’ve got a guy who loves you... and everything tells me that you love him too.” Taking a breath, this was the hard part for Scott to admit, but it had to be done. Evie had to know that he had figured out everything. “It’s just not me.”
Her mouth gaped open, and then suddenly, everything that Scott had done in the past couple weeks had made sense. They were tests, every single one, to see how she felt about him, and instead of trying to keep from hurting his feelings by appearing neutral, he had determined her exact situation. “Scott...I can... I mean...”
Reaching out to touch her shoulder with his hand, Scott stopped her incomplete thoughts. “It’s okay, really.” Retracting his hand, Scott turned around, having a feeling that he’ll sleep much better now. But within a couple of steps, he stopped again. “Just...don’t wait so long. He won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure that Victor’s waiting for you.”
Evie had watched his eyes as he admitted everything, the way he walked away from her, and it hurt a lot, but Scott had seemed stronger about the whole thing than she could have imagined. But there was one thing that was plaguing her. “How come you can see it?”
He had been in her life again for two months, and this was something that she hadn’t told anyone, yet he called Evie on it, right in front of her face, with no hesitation in his voice.
Scott grinned momentarily before turning his head back to look at her. “I may not have known your deepest darkest secrets... but I lived with you. That came with a way to read you, a way to understand you better.” He bit his tongue, reminding him of the first time he had seen Evie look at Victor. “The way you look at him... you can just see it, and after everything life’s tossed your way...” Scott’s voice trailed as he met Evie’s eyes, full of confusion, so he just smiled. “It’s actually really hard not to be happy for both of you.”
Evie nodded, as she continued to process everything in her head. But upon seeing Scott open the bedroom door, Evie stepped forward, wanting to say one last thing. “Just... I know it’s hard, but stay.” Scott had thankfully stopped, likely confused by her words too, but Evie pressed on, knowing that she’d feel terrible for being the reason that Scott missed something that he could probably use in his life. Happiness, even if on the surface, it was someone else’s. “Stay for everyone else. We can make this work, I know we can.”
Scott grinned again, grateful for the effort on her part, and oddly, that was enough for him. “Okay.”
Part 2
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