Book or Cover (4/4)
Author: 
serafina19
Title: Book or Cover
Summary: Oliver stays at the Talon after dropping Chloe off after her birthday party. When the morning comes, they work together to fix the wish that Chloe didn’t anticipate coming true.
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Hex AU
Warnings: Coarse language
Thanks to:
aradira for the banner.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Looking up from his phone, Oliver knew it was time to put away work for the night. After hearing that Chloe was coming back to Watchtower after a few nights off, the whole team, or at least, the ones in the city, had come back to Isis, wanting to show their appreciation. Bart practically dibbed the first night, which worked for all of them, as Dinah had a show and the aftermath of the LuthorCorp merger had been taking a lot of Oliver’s time.
However, he could feel his eloquence slipping in his emails and it was getting late, so he considered that maybe it was time to enjoy what was left of tonight. However, just as he got up, he noticed Chloe remove the comm from her ear, but not even miss a beat in continuing to work away.
Don’t get him wrong, he was glad that she was back, but the last thing he wanted was for her to overdo it. The goal tonight was to allow her to come back naturally, with a bit of necessary space, but he had seen the results of her working overtime and he had a feeling no good would come from that.
“Hey Chloe, you have any plans?” Granted, he didn’t have much of a plan when he asked the question, but he didn’t want to leave without figuring out whether she had any intention of sleeping here tonight.
Chloe grinned as her fingertips clicked actively against the keyboard, pausing only to look over her shoulder. “Besides preparing the specs for the next mission?”
“Okay, now we’re definitely celebrating your return.” Knowing she would disagree, he added, “Nothing special, just a drink at my place.”
She wanted to say no, as she knew why Oliver was offering and there was no need. She was fine; things were better now. But then she felt her head dip as Chloe realized that taking a minute to enjoy that wasn’t a bad thing. “Fine,” she said finally before starting up the extra security protocols on the database. “But only because I have a feeling that you won’t stop staring at me until I agree.”
Oliver chuckled silently as he picked up his jacket. “Sounds about right.” What he wouldn’t tell her was that he didn’t want to be alone tonight and he didn’t want to leave her at Isis alone either. That was a big part of how they had experienced what they did, but Oliver couldn’t find himself regretting Chloe’s wish entirely.
However, despite her earlier comment, he hadn’t stopped staring at her while she gathered her things. She knew it, he could tell, but she didn’t call him on it, so he maintained the silence until they walked outside of the office.
As she turned towards the door to lock it, Chloe bit the inside of her lip. “How have things been for you lately?” It probably wasn’t a great idea to broach the topic, but considering the entire team’s eyes practically spoke the question to her tonight, she figured turnabout was fair play.
He swallowed hard before starting to walk down the hallway, wanting to reply with something along the lines of that work was keeping him busy, but he knew that wasn’t what Chloe was asking about. “Better.”
“Really?” It wasn’t as if she wanted to be skeptical, but Chloe couldn’t take the chance that Oliver was doing better because he was ignoring his own issues because of her. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.
It took a minute for Oliver to find the right answer, as her question was valid. He had crossed a line, one that he could never erase, no matter how much he wanted to before. Even if he did, he would always remember it, and in a way, that was his punishment. Oliver knew even that was wrong, deep down, he always did, but now, he wanted to work to make up for it.
“I’m coming to terms with what I did. I even told the guys and Dinah, as I figured it was best for them to know… that way you wouldn’t feel burdened by another secret.”
Chloe shook her head. “It was never a burden, Ollie.”
“You sure about that?” Because when he found out that she knew the truth, instead of doing anything else, Oliver continued to do things that he regretted.
“I am,” she replied, biting her lip again before adding, “Anything else would make me a hypocrite, right?”
“Hang on a sec,” Oliver said, cutting off her path to force her to look up at him. “That night, I … I wasn’t myself. Chloe, I believe you didn’t do that because you would always find another way.”
“How can you say that when…” she started, but when Oliver grabbed her hand, Chloe felt her words fail her.
“This is about my mistake, not yours, okay?” He didn’t expect a verbal response, but when she didn’t nod, Oliver continued, “I told the team because it was something I had to do. I had to know that they could trust me no matter what, that they could somehow look at me how you do.” Shaking his head, his gaze landed on a spot across the hallway as a small grin formed. “Somehow, they took it better than I thought.”
Squeezing the hand that was holding hers, Chloe sighed when his eyes returned to her. “Our choices lately have fallen under a particular shade of grey, so that doesn’t surprise me.” Narrowing her eyes, she added, “Just try not to have a repeat performance, okay?”
Oliver smiled as her expression started to light up. “Not planning on it.”
After that, there seemed to be a silent understanding between the two, as the conversations led to different directions, to more normal topics. The car ride itself was quiet, which wasn’t unusual considering the distance between the buildings. But when they arrived, Oliver realized that he forgot a particular detail from today.
“By the way,” he said as he pulled the keys from the ignition, “Zatanna called me today.”
Chloe grinned as she opened the passenger door. “She ready to fight with the good guys yet?”
“She is,” Oliver said with a nod. “I also told her that we were even.”
“Even?”
He shrugged before closing his car door, locking as he approached the elevator, waiting for Chloe to understand what he meant. When he saw her realization, he grinned. “Sometimes a wish can be less complicated than hocus pocus.”
Getting into the elevator, she leaned back against the wall as Oliver activated it. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Granted, I don’t actually want a next time.”
Oliver chuckled as he stood next to her, watching as the elevator started to ascend. “Can’t blame you there, it must have been quite the experience.”
“Yet you still wanted it?” she asked, eyes narrowing as she looked up at him.
Something told him that she was never going to let him live that decision down. “My judgement was clouded, something that you helped clear up. It’s a unique talent of yours.”
It was Chloe's turn to shrug a shoulder, as she was just glad that he listened to her. That happened less than Oliver realized. “I try.”
“And you succeed more than you think,” he replied, knowing to expect the nonchalant response, but he wanted to assure her that it meant more than she thought it did.
“Thanks,” Chloe replied as the elevator doors opened. Oliver gestured for her to exit first, which she did, but neither of them expected what came next.
“SURPRISE!”
Taking a step back, Chloe watched as people emerged from hiding places in the clocktower. Whatever this was, it wasn’t nothing special. “Oliver, what’s going on?”
Oliver wished that he knew, although one glance at Dinah and suddenly the blanks started to fill. Fortunately for him, Lois spoke up first. “He wouldn’t know.”
Chloe crossed her arms. “And you do?”
Looking around the room, Lois smiled. “He went a little over-board with your last party.”
“At your request,” he countered, after which Lois scoffed.
“Doesn’t matter,” she replied. “What matters now is that people are here, and we’re doing this properly.”
Part of Chloe didn’t want to even bother with the idea of doing over her most recent party, for as far as she had come over the last few days, that didn’t stop her from wanting to go back to old habits at birthday parties.
That was until a familiar voice said, “Hey. Can we talk?”
It was an expression Chloe had fallen for plenty of times, but something told Chloe that Clark meant this one a little more. “Sure,” she said, noticing the gift in his hands as they walked onto the terrace to get some space.
“Got you something,” he said, holding it out to her. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t even anything she hadn’t seen before, but Clark had a second chance to do this right and he wasn’t about to screw it up.
Chloe unwrapped the present, seeing the book she had received from Clark via Oliver before. She was about to say that it wasn’t necessary for him to hit reset, but Clark spoke up. “I know it’s not new, but this is what I should have done last time. Even though I can’t stay long, I wanted to do one right thing tonight.”
The whole idea that Clark was even there was enough, but Chloe wasn’t about to be ungrateful for the effort. Their relationship hadn’t been the smoothest lately and she was glad that Clark was making this step. “Thank you Clark, really.”
“Before I go,” Clark said, pointing to the book, “can you open to the first page?”
“Okay,” she said, curious as to what was different from before. The answer was a single slip of paper, a coupon to be precise, like one that a child would make for their parents to do chores. Except hers just said One Day Off. “Clark, what is this?”
Clark shrugged, as he knew it seemed silly, but he knew that an offer like this was long overdue. “I’ve never really used a vacation day before, but it’s clear that we need to spend more time together.” He saw her about to object, but he wanted to assure Chloe that he had covered his bases. “Victor and Bart are cover patrol duties and I figured one day in Smallville, well, it won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.”
Flapping the coupon against the book, Chloe smiled before leaning in to hug Clark. “That is something I think we both need.” Squeezing her arms around him, Chloe felt her eyes shut momentarily as she enjoyed the moment, even if it wasn’t going to be for long.
“Thank you, Clark. This… means a lot,” she said as she backed away, grinning as their eyes met. For a second, she was reminded of the hope she had held onto in their friendship, which was a promising start, but she knew that she wasn’t the only one who needed Clark. “Now go save the day. I’ll let you know when I’m cashing it in.”
With a grin, Clark took off, leaving Chloe alone on the terrace, a moment she had experienced before, but this time was different. This time, she actually felt like their relationship was on the right track.
~0~
After Chloe walked away with Clark, Oliver went over to his bar, as that was why they had come here in the first place, and he had a feeling that he needed a drink. As he poured it, he sensed someone staring at him, so he looked up, chuckling upon seeing Dinah in front of him, a gesture that she took with a grin before leaning against the wall.
Oliver finished pouring his drink and then joined her, clinking his glass to hers before saying, “I can’t believe you got along with Lois for longer than five minutes.”
Her glass hovering near her lips, Dinah said before drinking, “Common goals make everything possible.” Oddly enough, this party was for Oliver as much as it was for Chloe. They both needed a lighthearted moment and the party was the closest and easiest thing she could think of. One mention to Lois and the rest was cake.
“Which is why you asked what my plans were tonight.” He had figured that she had a more selfish purpose for asking, but he had appeared to underestimate her. “What if she didn’t agree to come here?”
Dinah shrugged, as based on how she had seen them interact today, it never even crossed her mind. “I gave your methods of persuasion the benefit of the doubt.” It was the closest thing to the truth that he would hear, but the longer she stood here, the more she felt her defeat and she didn’t want him to see it. Pushing herself from the wall, she looked around the room. “Enjoy the party Oliver. It’s not as expensive as the last one… but you’re still paying for it.”
She got a few steps away, but she stopped when he called out, “Hey Dinah.” She turned around towards Oliver, seeing the smile on his face, a decent consolation prize. “Thanks.”
Dinah sighed before letting the smallest of smiles show. “I used to be the newbie, so I’m still learning the whole team thing… but we take care of each other.”
His smile reducing to a grin, Oliver started to sense the words that she wasn’t saying, the personal side to their relationship that had started fraying in the last few weeks. “Again, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Seeing her walk away, Oliver wanted to tell her that he could give her more, but with his mindset and their schedules, what they had was about all he could risk. It wasn’t fair to Dinah, but at least she understood. It was a weird trend lately, something Oliver wasn’t sure he deserved, but as he took another sip, he knew that he’d be a fool to do anything other than accept it.
“So what exactly happened while I was in Mexico?”
Laughing as Lois joined him, Oliver shifted his thoughts. “Depends on how much Chloe told you.”
“That my cousin looked like me for a day.” It was shocking to say the least, and a little crazy considering how much she was inspired by Chloe, but based on what little story she had told Lois, it appeared that her cousin had found herself again.
Oliver chuckled, as he hadn’t anticipated her telling Lois the whole truth. But after another second, he realized that Chloe didn’t have a choice, as the Daily Planet workers were probably a little confused to have Lois there when she was actually reporting in Mexico. “Then that pretty much covers it.”
Except Lois wasn’t an idiot. She thought it was strange that Dinah suggested that they have the party at Oliver’s place, but one look at the two in the elevator before the surprise call broke out told her everything and she wasn’t about to ignore it. “That doesn’t explain that I’ve never seen you look at her like that before.”
Glancing towards the terrace, seeing Clark leave Chloe with a smile on her face for once, clutching the book in her hands, Oliver couldn’t help but smile. “It’s just nice to see her happy for a change.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he confirmed. “Excuse me, Lois.”
Lois thought about replying as he walked away, but instead she stayed where she was, knowing that there was nothing that could tear the grin from her face as her previous company began approached her cousin on the terrace.
“I give it six months,” she said, as someone had joined her.
“At least nine.” Dinah grinned as they stared at the two blondes. “Yeah, he’s practically a goner, Lois, but Chloe’s personal life is less together than his.”
Lois turned her head towards Dinah. “You’re drawing this conclusion from your thing with him, aren’t you?”
“There is no thing, Lois,” Dinah replied after a scoff. “Flirty emails are the only thing I’m going to get from him. They’ll be enough until she’s ready to let him in.”
Seeing Dinah subsequently down the rest of her drink, Lois’ grin started to fade. “I’m sorry.”
Dinah chuckled. “I’m not.” Lois’ sympathy was appreciated, as it wasn’t expected considering her bias in the matter, but Dinah knew what she was getting into, and she knew that when it came to her and Oliver, this was always going to be the ending. “It’s easier this way because I’m on the road all the time. I could never give him what he wants, that’s why I never asked.” She laughed once more as she stared at her empty glass. “Besides, based on your relationship, I’m pretty convinced we’d destroy each other.”
“True.” Lois held up her glass, pouring some of her drink into Dinah’s before holding it near the other glass. “That’s why we get along so well.”
“Amen,” Dinah replied, clinking her glass with Lois’ before taking the sip. It was a hard pill for her to swallow, but she meant every word she told Lois. It was for the best.
~0~
Stepping onto of the terrace, Oliver took in the way Chloe was staring out at the night sky, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of déjà vu from the last party. There was no gift from Clark in his hands, as the book appeared to make its way onto one of the tables, but the rest of the scene seemed familiar.
“Hey,” he said, breaking the silence, noticing how her head whipped around her shoulder.
Shaking off her surprise, Chloe smiled at her new company. “Hey Ollie, what’s up?”
“Nothing.” Standing next to her, leaning against the railing, he gave a quick grin. “You’re not avoiding us again are you?”
Chloe shook her head. “Just needed some air.” It was something she didn’t do enough these days, besides coffee runs. People always told her how therapeutic it was, but the air seemed a lot fresher in the last few days.
“And reflect?”
She immediately recognized what he was trying to ask, so she quickly refuted it. “I think I’ve done my fair share of reflection lately. If anything, I think I’m looking forward to what’s ahead for the first time in a long time.”
“Well, in that case, I’m hoping I can add to that.”
“Huh?”
Lifting his arm, Oliver extended it to point out a large building a few blocks away. “See that building over there? I recently bought the majority of the top units because we’re looking to make Metropolis our main headquarters. And with that, we’re going to need a bigger space than Isis.” After bringing his arm back, Oliver pulled out his phone and to show her some of the pictures of the space inside. “What do you think?”
Taking the phone from him, Chloe scrolled through the photos. “It’s really nice.” It was a bit of a fixer-upper, but space-wise, it had plenty of potential. It was also a great location, more central than Isis.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, as he had technically lied to Chloe. He wanted to show her this tonight, as he had put it off long enough. “Because you’re the namesake.”
“What?”
“I talked to the team and we figured Watchtower was a fitting name. I had planned to tell you on your birthday but…”
She interjected with a scoff, knowing why it didn’t happen that night. “But then I gave you reason to doubt my commitment to the cause.”
Oliver pursed his lips before saying, “I was going to say that I wanted to wait until you were ready to hear it.”
“But you…”
“I know what I said,” Oliver said. “But that wasn’t going to stop us from naming this place after you.” Ideally, the building would represent a lot of the qualities that Chloe brought to the team, so it was really a no-brainer for them. “The fact that you decided to stay just makes it better.”
Looking back down at the pictures, she shook her head. “And you just made it impossible for me to figure out what to give you for your birthday.”
“Hey,” he said, placing his finger under her chin to bring her head up. “You should know that you’ve given me more than I deserve lately.” He watched a smile come across her face, an expression he couldn’t help but return. “And that… that’s just a bonus.”
She really did look happy, and as much he had grown to love seeing that smile, Oliver had this feeling that he should let her have a minute to herself. Lowering his hand to take his phone from her, he said softly, “Happy Birthday Chloe,” before heading back inside.
“Thanks,” she whispered, knowing he couldn’t hear it. It shouldn’t have surprised her at this point, but he always seemed to have the words to make her smile, even when she was feeling okay. Turning her head back towards the skyline, she focused her gaze on the building he had shown her.
Watchtower.
Plans were already in her head, layouts, furniture, the works. That place would become a lot of things, but it was one thing that Oliver didn’t mention. It was a fresh start after her husband left her, a fresh start from a confusing relationship with a Jekyll/Hyde character, a fresh start after the questionable decisions she had been making. It was those decisions that had caused Chloe to lose sight of herself, but as she clutched the comm in her pocket, Chloe suddenly felt like things were finally coming into place.
She was an underqualified shrink and mother figure to a group of heroes. She was their eyes and ears as they saved the day. She was invaluable. She was Watchtower.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
~End~
Sera's Scribbles: For those who didn't see my previous post on my journal, I am weirdly busy this fall, so posts are going to slow down. However, that's probably for the best, as my next fic, "We are Family," starts oddly similar to this one.
.
serafina19
Title: Book or Cover
Summary: Oliver stays at the Talon after dropping Chloe off after her birthday party. When the morning comes, they work together to fix the wish that Chloe didn’t anticipate coming true.
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Hex AU
Warnings: Coarse language
Thanks to:
aradira for the banner.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Looking up from his phone, Oliver knew it was time to put away work for the night. After hearing that Chloe was coming back to Watchtower after a few nights off, the whole team, or at least, the ones in the city, had come back to Isis, wanting to show their appreciation. Bart practically dibbed the first night, which worked for all of them, as Dinah had a show and the aftermath of the LuthorCorp merger had been taking a lot of Oliver’s time.
However, he could feel his eloquence slipping in his emails and it was getting late, so he considered that maybe it was time to enjoy what was left of tonight. However, just as he got up, he noticed Chloe remove the comm from her ear, but not even miss a beat in continuing to work away.
Don’t get him wrong, he was glad that she was back, but the last thing he wanted was for her to overdo it. The goal tonight was to allow her to come back naturally, with a bit of necessary space, but he had seen the results of her working overtime and he had a feeling no good would come from that.
“Hey Chloe, you have any plans?” Granted, he didn’t have much of a plan when he asked the question, but he didn’t want to leave without figuring out whether she had any intention of sleeping here tonight.
Chloe grinned as her fingertips clicked actively against the keyboard, pausing only to look over her shoulder. “Besides preparing the specs for the next mission?”
“Okay, now we’re definitely celebrating your return.” Knowing she would disagree, he added, “Nothing special, just a drink at my place.”
She wanted to say no, as she knew why Oliver was offering and there was no need. She was fine; things were better now. But then she felt her head dip as Chloe realized that taking a minute to enjoy that wasn’t a bad thing. “Fine,” she said finally before starting up the extra security protocols on the database. “But only because I have a feeling that you won’t stop staring at me until I agree.”
Oliver chuckled silently as he picked up his jacket. “Sounds about right.” What he wouldn’t tell her was that he didn’t want to be alone tonight and he didn’t want to leave her at Isis alone either. That was a big part of how they had experienced what they did, but Oliver couldn’t find himself regretting Chloe’s wish entirely.
However, despite her earlier comment, he hadn’t stopped staring at her while she gathered her things. She knew it, he could tell, but she didn’t call him on it, so he maintained the silence until they walked outside of the office.
As she turned towards the door to lock it, Chloe bit the inside of her lip. “How have things been for you lately?” It probably wasn’t a great idea to broach the topic, but considering the entire team’s eyes practically spoke the question to her tonight, she figured turnabout was fair play.
He swallowed hard before starting to walk down the hallway, wanting to reply with something along the lines of that work was keeping him busy, but he knew that wasn’t what Chloe was asking about. “Better.”
“Really?” It wasn’t as if she wanted to be skeptical, but Chloe couldn’t take the chance that Oliver was doing better because he was ignoring his own issues because of her. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.
It took a minute for Oliver to find the right answer, as her question was valid. He had crossed a line, one that he could never erase, no matter how much he wanted to before. Even if he did, he would always remember it, and in a way, that was his punishment. Oliver knew even that was wrong, deep down, he always did, but now, he wanted to work to make up for it.
“I’m coming to terms with what I did. I even told the guys and Dinah, as I figured it was best for them to know… that way you wouldn’t feel burdened by another secret.”
Chloe shook her head. “It was never a burden, Ollie.”
“You sure about that?” Because when he found out that she knew the truth, instead of doing anything else, Oliver continued to do things that he regretted.
“I am,” she replied, biting her lip again before adding, “Anything else would make me a hypocrite, right?”
“Hang on a sec,” Oliver said, cutting off her path to force her to look up at him. “That night, I … I wasn’t myself. Chloe, I believe you didn’t do that because you would always find another way.”
“How can you say that when…” she started, but when Oliver grabbed her hand, Chloe felt her words fail her.
“This is about my mistake, not yours, okay?” He didn’t expect a verbal response, but when she didn’t nod, Oliver continued, “I told the team because it was something I had to do. I had to know that they could trust me no matter what, that they could somehow look at me how you do.” Shaking his head, his gaze landed on a spot across the hallway as a small grin formed. “Somehow, they took it better than I thought.”
Squeezing the hand that was holding hers, Chloe sighed when his eyes returned to her. “Our choices lately have fallen under a particular shade of grey, so that doesn’t surprise me.” Narrowing her eyes, she added, “Just try not to have a repeat performance, okay?”
Oliver smiled as her expression started to light up. “Not planning on it.”
After that, there seemed to be a silent understanding between the two, as the conversations led to different directions, to more normal topics. The car ride itself was quiet, which wasn’t unusual considering the distance between the buildings. But when they arrived, Oliver realized that he forgot a particular detail from today.
“By the way,” he said as he pulled the keys from the ignition, “Zatanna called me today.”
Chloe grinned as she opened the passenger door. “She ready to fight with the good guys yet?”
“She is,” Oliver said with a nod. “I also told her that we were even.”
“Even?”
He shrugged before closing his car door, locking as he approached the elevator, waiting for Chloe to understand what he meant. When he saw her realization, he grinned. “Sometimes a wish can be less complicated than hocus pocus.”
Getting into the elevator, she leaned back against the wall as Oliver activated it. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Granted, I don’t actually want a next time.”
Oliver chuckled as he stood next to her, watching as the elevator started to ascend. “Can’t blame you there, it must have been quite the experience.”
“Yet you still wanted it?” she asked, eyes narrowing as she looked up at him.
Something told him that she was never going to let him live that decision down. “My judgement was clouded, something that you helped clear up. It’s a unique talent of yours.”
It was Chloe's turn to shrug a shoulder, as she was just glad that he listened to her. That happened less than Oliver realized. “I try.”
“And you succeed more than you think,” he replied, knowing to expect the nonchalant response, but he wanted to assure her that it meant more than she thought it did.
“Thanks,” Chloe replied as the elevator doors opened. Oliver gestured for her to exit first, which she did, but neither of them expected what came next.
“SURPRISE!”
Taking a step back, Chloe watched as people emerged from hiding places in the clocktower. Whatever this was, it wasn’t nothing special. “Oliver, what’s going on?”
Oliver wished that he knew, although one glance at Dinah and suddenly the blanks started to fill. Fortunately for him, Lois spoke up first. “He wouldn’t know.”
Chloe crossed her arms. “And you do?”
Looking around the room, Lois smiled. “He went a little over-board with your last party.”
“At your request,” he countered, after which Lois scoffed.
“Doesn’t matter,” she replied. “What matters now is that people are here, and we’re doing this properly.”
Part of Chloe didn’t want to even bother with the idea of doing over her most recent party, for as far as she had come over the last few days, that didn’t stop her from wanting to go back to old habits at birthday parties.
That was until a familiar voice said, “Hey. Can we talk?”
It was an expression Chloe had fallen for plenty of times, but something told Chloe that Clark meant this one a little more. “Sure,” she said, noticing the gift in his hands as they walked onto the terrace to get some space.
“Got you something,” he said, holding it out to her. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t even anything she hadn’t seen before, but Clark had a second chance to do this right and he wasn’t about to screw it up.
Chloe unwrapped the present, seeing the book she had received from Clark via Oliver before. She was about to say that it wasn’t necessary for him to hit reset, but Clark spoke up. “I know it’s not new, but this is what I should have done last time. Even though I can’t stay long, I wanted to do one right thing tonight.”
The whole idea that Clark was even there was enough, but Chloe wasn’t about to be ungrateful for the effort. Their relationship hadn’t been the smoothest lately and she was glad that Clark was making this step. “Thank you Clark, really.”
“Before I go,” Clark said, pointing to the book, “can you open to the first page?”
“Okay,” she said, curious as to what was different from before. The answer was a single slip of paper, a coupon to be precise, like one that a child would make for their parents to do chores. Except hers just said One Day Off. “Clark, what is this?”
Clark shrugged, as he knew it seemed silly, but he knew that an offer like this was long overdue. “I’ve never really used a vacation day before, but it’s clear that we need to spend more time together.” He saw her about to object, but he wanted to assure Chloe that he had covered his bases. “Victor and Bart are cover patrol duties and I figured one day in Smallville, well, it won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.”
Flapping the coupon against the book, Chloe smiled before leaning in to hug Clark. “That is something I think we both need.” Squeezing her arms around him, Chloe felt her eyes shut momentarily as she enjoyed the moment, even if it wasn’t going to be for long.
“Thank you, Clark. This… means a lot,” she said as she backed away, grinning as their eyes met. For a second, she was reminded of the hope she had held onto in their friendship, which was a promising start, but she knew that she wasn’t the only one who needed Clark. “Now go save the day. I’ll let you know when I’m cashing it in.”
With a grin, Clark took off, leaving Chloe alone on the terrace, a moment she had experienced before, but this time was different. This time, she actually felt like their relationship was on the right track.
~0~
After Chloe walked away with Clark, Oliver went over to his bar, as that was why they had come here in the first place, and he had a feeling that he needed a drink. As he poured it, he sensed someone staring at him, so he looked up, chuckling upon seeing Dinah in front of him, a gesture that she took with a grin before leaning against the wall.
Oliver finished pouring his drink and then joined her, clinking his glass to hers before saying, “I can’t believe you got along with Lois for longer than five minutes.”
Her glass hovering near her lips, Dinah said before drinking, “Common goals make everything possible.” Oddly enough, this party was for Oliver as much as it was for Chloe. They both needed a lighthearted moment and the party was the closest and easiest thing she could think of. One mention to Lois and the rest was cake.
“Which is why you asked what my plans were tonight.” He had figured that she had a more selfish purpose for asking, but he had appeared to underestimate her. “What if she didn’t agree to come here?”
Dinah shrugged, as based on how she had seen them interact today, it never even crossed her mind. “I gave your methods of persuasion the benefit of the doubt.” It was the closest thing to the truth that he would hear, but the longer she stood here, the more she felt her defeat and she didn’t want him to see it. Pushing herself from the wall, she looked around the room. “Enjoy the party Oliver. It’s not as expensive as the last one… but you’re still paying for it.”
She got a few steps away, but she stopped when he called out, “Hey Dinah.” She turned around towards Oliver, seeing the smile on his face, a decent consolation prize. “Thanks.”
Dinah sighed before letting the smallest of smiles show. “I used to be the newbie, so I’m still learning the whole team thing… but we take care of each other.”
His smile reducing to a grin, Oliver started to sense the words that she wasn’t saying, the personal side to their relationship that had started fraying in the last few weeks. “Again, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Seeing her walk away, Oliver wanted to tell her that he could give her more, but with his mindset and their schedules, what they had was about all he could risk. It wasn’t fair to Dinah, but at least she understood. It was a weird trend lately, something Oliver wasn’t sure he deserved, but as he took another sip, he knew that he’d be a fool to do anything other than accept it.
“So what exactly happened while I was in Mexico?”
Laughing as Lois joined him, Oliver shifted his thoughts. “Depends on how much Chloe told you.”
“That my cousin looked like me for a day.” It was shocking to say the least, and a little crazy considering how much she was inspired by Chloe, but based on what little story she had told Lois, it appeared that her cousin had found herself again.
Oliver chuckled, as he hadn’t anticipated her telling Lois the whole truth. But after another second, he realized that Chloe didn’t have a choice, as the Daily Planet workers were probably a little confused to have Lois there when she was actually reporting in Mexico. “Then that pretty much covers it.”
Except Lois wasn’t an idiot. She thought it was strange that Dinah suggested that they have the party at Oliver’s place, but one look at the two in the elevator before the surprise call broke out told her everything and she wasn’t about to ignore it. “That doesn’t explain that I’ve never seen you look at her like that before.”
Glancing towards the terrace, seeing Clark leave Chloe with a smile on her face for once, clutching the book in her hands, Oliver couldn’t help but smile. “It’s just nice to see her happy for a change.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he confirmed. “Excuse me, Lois.”
Lois thought about replying as he walked away, but instead she stayed where she was, knowing that there was nothing that could tear the grin from her face as her previous company began approached her cousin on the terrace.
“I give it six months,” she said, as someone had joined her.
“At least nine.” Dinah grinned as they stared at the two blondes. “Yeah, he’s practically a goner, Lois, but Chloe’s personal life is less together than his.”
Lois turned her head towards Dinah. “You’re drawing this conclusion from your thing with him, aren’t you?”
“There is no thing, Lois,” Dinah replied after a scoff. “Flirty emails are the only thing I’m going to get from him. They’ll be enough until she’s ready to let him in.”
Seeing Dinah subsequently down the rest of her drink, Lois’ grin started to fade. “I’m sorry.”
Dinah chuckled. “I’m not.” Lois’ sympathy was appreciated, as it wasn’t expected considering her bias in the matter, but Dinah knew what she was getting into, and she knew that when it came to her and Oliver, this was always going to be the ending. “It’s easier this way because I’m on the road all the time. I could never give him what he wants, that’s why I never asked.” She laughed once more as she stared at her empty glass. “Besides, based on your relationship, I’m pretty convinced we’d destroy each other.”
“True.” Lois held up her glass, pouring some of her drink into Dinah’s before holding it near the other glass. “That’s why we get along so well.”
“Amen,” Dinah replied, clinking her glass with Lois’ before taking the sip. It was a hard pill for her to swallow, but she meant every word she told Lois. It was for the best.
~0~
Stepping onto of the terrace, Oliver took in the way Chloe was staring out at the night sky, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of déjà vu from the last party. There was no gift from Clark in his hands, as the book appeared to make its way onto one of the tables, but the rest of the scene seemed familiar.
“Hey,” he said, breaking the silence, noticing how her head whipped around her shoulder.
Shaking off her surprise, Chloe smiled at her new company. “Hey Ollie, what’s up?”
“Nothing.” Standing next to her, leaning against the railing, he gave a quick grin. “You’re not avoiding us again are you?”
Chloe shook her head. “Just needed some air.” It was something she didn’t do enough these days, besides coffee runs. People always told her how therapeutic it was, but the air seemed a lot fresher in the last few days.
“And reflect?”
She immediately recognized what he was trying to ask, so she quickly refuted it. “I think I’ve done my fair share of reflection lately. If anything, I think I’m looking forward to what’s ahead for the first time in a long time.”
“Well, in that case, I’m hoping I can add to that.”
“Huh?”
Lifting his arm, Oliver extended it to point out a large building a few blocks away. “See that building over there? I recently bought the majority of the top units because we’re looking to make Metropolis our main headquarters. And with that, we’re going to need a bigger space than Isis.” After bringing his arm back, Oliver pulled out his phone and to show her some of the pictures of the space inside. “What do you think?”
Taking the phone from him, Chloe scrolled through the photos. “It’s really nice.” It was a bit of a fixer-upper, but space-wise, it had plenty of potential. It was also a great location, more central than Isis.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, as he had technically lied to Chloe. He wanted to show her this tonight, as he had put it off long enough. “Because you’re the namesake.”
“What?”
“I talked to the team and we figured Watchtower was a fitting name. I had planned to tell you on your birthday but…”
She interjected with a scoff, knowing why it didn’t happen that night. “But then I gave you reason to doubt my commitment to the cause.”
Oliver pursed his lips before saying, “I was going to say that I wanted to wait until you were ready to hear it.”
“But you…”
“I know what I said,” Oliver said. “But that wasn’t going to stop us from naming this place after you.” Ideally, the building would represent a lot of the qualities that Chloe brought to the team, so it was really a no-brainer for them. “The fact that you decided to stay just makes it better.”
Looking back down at the pictures, she shook her head. “And you just made it impossible for me to figure out what to give you for your birthday.”
“Hey,” he said, placing his finger under her chin to bring her head up. “You should know that you’ve given me more than I deserve lately.” He watched a smile come across her face, an expression he couldn’t help but return. “And that… that’s just a bonus.”
She really did look happy, and as much he had grown to love seeing that smile, Oliver had this feeling that he should let her have a minute to herself. Lowering his hand to take his phone from her, he said softly, “Happy Birthday Chloe,” before heading back inside.
“Thanks,” she whispered, knowing he couldn’t hear it. It shouldn’t have surprised her at this point, but he always seemed to have the words to make her smile, even when she was feeling okay. Turning her head back towards the skyline, she focused her gaze on the building he had shown her.
Watchtower.
Plans were already in her head, layouts, furniture, the works. That place would become a lot of things, but it was one thing that Oliver didn’t mention. It was a fresh start after her husband left her, a fresh start from a confusing relationship with a Jekyll/Hyde character, a fresh start after the questionable decisions she had been making. It was those decisions that had caused Chloe to lose sight of herself, but as she clutched the comm in her pocket, Chloe suddenly felt like things were finally coming into place.
She was an underqualified shrink and mother figure to a group of heroes. She was their eyes and ears as they saved the day. She was invaluable. She was Watchtower.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
~End~
Sera's Scribbles: For those who didn't see my previous post on my journal, I am weirdly busy this fall, so posts are going to slow down. However, that's probably for the best, as my next fic, "We are Family," starts oddly similar to this one.
.