Lost and Found (4/4)
Author: 
serafina19
Title: Lost and Found
Summary: Chloe decides that she needs space after her divorce and the Davis debacle. But she forgot that there were familiar faces in Star City until one of them approaches her in a crowded bar.
Timeline: AU Season 8
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
If she didn't know better, it appeared that, for once, something had gone according to plan in the last couple of days. It was nice.
After successfully hailing a cab outside of the Metropolis airport, Chloe sat in the back seat, lost in her thoughts. She had people here, she had love here, but she never realized how much she had inspired people outside of this city. And the ways that they had inspired her.
From Bart's carefree attitude, to Victor's acceptance of change, even Dinah's commitment to making tough decisions, despite her real life persona. Although there was one person who beat her there, but that wasn't what she learned from him. If Oliver could shrug off what she had done so easily, there was hope for her yet. She shivered, wondering what he had done to make what she did so easy to forgive, but that didn't matter right now. Especially considering how much he had helped her in the past couple of days.
She wasn’t wrong before, this vacation was a distraction, a momentary reprieve in the chaos that was her life. But that didn’t stop it from becoming more, becoming a reminder that she was still breathing, that she could still thrive, no matter how gloomy things seemed.
With that in mind, the cab ride flew by. As it pulled over to the Talon, she paid the driver, which reminded her of another facet of that trip. She really did need the job, as this money wouldn't last forever, but still she found herself hesitating.
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, or that she thought he had done enough, Oliver had convinced her to move on from that. But that didn't stop her from thinking about what she had done in that life. Could she go back and give it her all? Was it the same as the mess she had created working with Clark?
Unlocking the door, Chloe knew that she had to think this decision through, but that wasn’t going to be easy with her cousin being here… for some reason. Chloe was sure that Lois was supposed to be at work, but instead, she was standing in the middle of the kitchen.
“Lois, hey.”
Her cousin was less amused, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Don’t hey me. What happened?”
Because one day, she was here and then next thing Lois knew was that her cousin left on a red eye to California. The note was there, as well as the voicemail that Chloe left later, but that wasn't enough.
Chloe sighed as she walked past the kitchen to her bed. “I needed a break. Some alone time.” She knew that Lois would follow her, that was fine. It wasn't like she was trying to hide, she just wanted to unpack and carry on with her day.
“You could have talked to me.”
It seemed like a simple concept to Lois, but Chloe thought she had done that. Lately, talking things out didn't have the effect that she wanted, or at least, not until a few nights ago. “Maybe, but I’m not apologizing, because it turned out to be exactly what I needed.”
That seemed to be true, based on what Clark had told her yesterday, not to mention the smile that Chloe gave her now. Walking next to her cousin, she still wanted to point out, “You still talked to Clark before me.”
Because there hadn't been a lack of effort of Lois' effort. Multiple emails and text messages were left unanswered.
Chloe understood that, so she dropped the clothes in her hand and looked towards Lois. Maybe there was a way that she could still help. “Well, to make it up to you, how about I tell you something that he doesn’t know?”
Walking up to the bed, Lois pushed the bag further so she could sit down. “I’m listening.”
Chloe chuckled before following suit. “I ran into Oliver in Star City and he offered me a job.”
“What?" Lois sprung up and stood in front of Chloe. No wonder she was so happy, if things went that well for her, then Lois couldn't blame her. "That’s amazing.”
“Is it?” Pursing her lips, Chloe glanced down. “I… haven’t accepted it yet.”
“Are you kidding me?” Lois leaned down, not believing her ears as she tried to get her cousin’s attention back. That made no sense to her, which implied more secrets, as Lois had a feeling that she would never know what the real problem was in Chloe’s marriage. Heck, Jimmy probably didn’t know, but there was no way Chloe was getting away with this secret too. “It’s probably a great opportunity and it basically says screw you to Lex.”
For a minute, Chloe wanted to tell Lois everything, but she bit her tongue because it wouldn’t do any good now. But looking at it from another perspective, Chloe knew that she had to come up with a convincing reason why she was hesitating. “He’s coming back Lois,” she said, watching as her cousin’s eyes widened. “I’d be working for him personally.”
Taking a step back, Lois nodded. “Wow, okay.” At least that made some sense. Granted, she had never imagined that they had become so close, but maybe that was the real victory in the trip. “Actually, that’s even better.”
“Really?”
Lois shrugged. “It was two years ago. I’ve come to peace with it.” More importantly, they had moved on and started to manage a pretty decent long distance friendship. That was why the information that he was coming back seemed strange, because Oliver had never mentioned anything to her. He hadn’t even told Lois that he had run into Chloe in Star City. But maybe there was something more going on.
“Really?” Chloe repeated, because as far as she was concerned, Lois was taking this way too well.
That was because she had her secret of her own. “Yeah, actually, I… have a date with Clark on Friday.” This wasn’t how Lois wanted to tell Chloe, but she hoped that a little bit of honesty might open up her cousin to trust her with what had happened over the past few months.
Unfortunately, Chloe was too stunned at that news. “I’m sorry, what?” It wasn’t a crazy concept, but she had never anticipated that her life coming apart would be what would bring together her best friend and closest cousin.
“After he talked with you in Star City, Clark came to me and we realized that the reason we fought so much was maybe because we’re not great at relationships either.” It was nice for a change, not being so absorbed with their opinions on what was best for Chloe and actually talk to each other like normal people. “We ended up talking all night and then Clark said he wanted to give us a shot.”
“And you said yes.”
“I let him sweat for a bit, but he wasn’t wrong.” For a long time, there had been this weird spark between them, it just took until now for them to realize what it meant. “And that’s all I’m saying on that matter because right now I’m wondering if that’s all that happened between you and Oliver.”
Chloe coughed, as that wasn’t the case at all. “Technically no, but it’s not what you think.” When Lois’ eyebrow perked up, she knew she had to clarify quickly. “He ended up being a great listener, being mostly separate from the issue and all.”
Lois seemed less than convinced. “That’s it?”
It didn’t take long for Chloe to say, “That’s it.” However, she felt herself pause as her cousin threw the white flag and left her alone in the room. It wasn’t as if she doubted her words, those were true, but it was more than that.
Oliver was more than a great listener, he provided her the piece she had looked for so long, along with the rest of the team. So why was she so hesitant on denying herself of more?
~0~
Despite the time that had passed since he had stood in this office, it felt like Oliver had never left. The skyline felt familiar, the questions he had heard before, but he had noticed a familiar face among the crowd at the press conference, which made it easier. He knew to expect her presence, as that was her style and it was refreshing hearing her voice in the crowd compared to the others.
After the press conference ended, he went back up to his office, determined to get a decent amount of work done this afternoon, but it wasn’t long before his assistant knocked on his door.
“Mr. Queen,” she said. “There’s a particular reporter who won’t leave without seeing you.”
He grinned, as the way she said that implied who was there. “Send her in.”
Clicking his pen, he looked up in time to see Lois standing in the doorway. “When Chloe said you were coming back,” she said, “I thought she was kidding.”
Oliver chuckled as he pushed his chair back and stood up. “I hope there are no hard feelings.” They had managed to maintain their friendship, but that was different when there was almost an entire country between them.
It also didn’t stop Oliver from disliking how he had ended things. He wanted to believe that if he could change a few things, he could have made it work between them, but seeing Lois now, he knew that he made the right call.
“No, I get it now.” Long-term, it really wasn’t going to work, but what they had allowed her to appreciate the relationship she had now. “But I really appreciate what you’re doing for Chloe. She’s a hard worker and she won’t let you down.”
It was encouraging to know that Chloe had told someone about the job offer. However, with Chloe, he wasn’t sure if that was enough. “I’m not the one who needs to be convinced. Has she said anything to you?”
“No, but she didn’t have to.” After Lois had left the room that first day Chloe came back to Metropolis, she had attempted to come back to give Chloe a cup of coffee, but she reconsidered when she noticed the smile on her cousin’s face. That told her everything Lois needed to know. “You’ll see her on Monday morning, trust me.”
His reaction wasn’t much, but she had caught a few of his tells that showed his surprise. Her grin widened. “See you around, Oliver.”
Oliver smiled back at her, but even as Lois left the room, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Lois had said. That maintained even as he went through the rest of the motions that day. He wasn't sure why he cared so much about her acceptance, but Oliver had a feeling it was because it was a chance for him to help someone again.
Then again, it wasn’t like things had been great for him lately. After barely surviving an attempted takeover of Queen Industries, this was something that he wanted to go right. Victor had been integral in finding the leak and ensuring that it stayed quiet, but Oliver never considered that someone who had wanted to bring so much peace would want to tear his life apart. However, it didn't take much for Tess to change her tune once Oliver explained who she was really working with.
That was the real reason they had come back to Metropolis, as the idea of keeping his enemies closer seemed like a good idea. He liked to think that was also why Chloe brought back into his life, as he saw a potential for mutual benefit here. Like him, she was someone who didn't easily accept help, and he didn't want to force her, but he thought it was for the best.
Packing up his things after a long day, now was the moment of the truth. He ran into Victor on the way down in the elevator, and he said that he hadn't heard anything today, but Dinah would be late. That was fine, as they would technically be shorthanded while AC posed as Green Arrow in Star City.
But when they got to the building, the only person he saw waiting for them was Bart. He looked normal, as Victor was the only person who knew that there was a chance Chloe would be joining them, and the only reason for that was because he knew how to add access to headquarters.
Still, her absence hurt more than Oliver wanted to admit. He really thought he had gotten through to her.
"Rough day?" Bart asked in the elevator, trying to figure out what was wrong. Apparently Oliver had also become transparent.
"Just tired. I'll be good in a few minutes."
When the elevator doors opened, Bart zipped out, as he hadn't come here yet and probably wanted to check it out. But what Oliver hadn't anticipated was what he would exclaim once he got inside.
"Pizza!"
Picking up his pace, Oliver felt nervous as he wondered how that got there, but that was answered by the voice he heard next.
"Figured you guys would be hungry," Chloe said, and upon hearing her voice, Bart nodded his approval. With a smile, she looked towards Oliver. “I hope this was okay. Victor gave me my access code, so I thought I would get acclimatized.”
That comment caused Oliver to turn towards Victor almost immediately.
“What?” Victor said. Technically, he hadn’t lied, as Chloe had told him that she was in before they got on the flight to Metropolis. Sure, he could have told Oliver that, but she wanted to surprise him. After he hugged Chloe, he turned back around, noticing how Oliver had continued to stare at him. “I regret nothing.”
Oliver shook his head as Victor joined Bart at the pizza boxes. “You had me worried there,” he said, as he heard Chloe approach him from behind.
She grinned, reminded of how fast Bart could eat, amused by how Victor rolled his eyes. “I strongly considered the possibility of turning this down. But in the end, something you said got to me.” Oliver had turned his head towards her, so she sighed. “To be happy, I just need the right people in my life. I’m ready for what’s next, but I can’t make the mistake of trying to do everything on my own again. Family is what you make it and… this team already feels like family.”
Matching her grin, Oliver said, “Welcome back Watchtower.” Reaching his arm around her back, he placed his hand on her far shoulder and pulled her against his side.
Chloe felt her insides warm as she leaned towards him. “Thanks Arrow.”
They used their codenames, but as they joined the other two, they knew they had grown more as Chloe and Oliver. They knew that this was a new beginning to bringing justice to the world, of renewed peace in their lives, and a chance to move forward from the ghosts of their past. So in that moment, despite what imperfections would come their way, life felt pretty great.
~End~
.
serafina19
Title: Lost and Found
Summary: Chloe decides that she needs space after her divorce and the Davis debacle. But she forgot that there were familiar faces in Star City until one of them approaches her in a crowded bar.
Timeline: AU Season 8
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 4
If she didn't know better, it appeared that, for once, something had gone according to plan in the last couple of days. It was nice.
After successfully hailing a cab outside of the Metropolis airport, Chloe sat in the back seat, lost in her thoughts. She had people here, she had love here, but she never realized how much she had inspired people outside of this city. And the ways that they had inspired her.
From Bart's carefree attitude, to Victor's acceptance of change, even Dinah's commitment to making tough decisions, despite her real life persona. Although there was one person who beat her there, but that wasn't what she learned from him. If Oliver could shrug off what she had done so easily, there was hope for her yet. She shivered, wondering what he had done to make what she did so easy to forgive, but that didn't matter right now. Especially considering how much he had helped her in the past couple of days.
She wasn’t wrong before, this vacation was a distraction, a momentary reprieve in the chaos that was her life. But that didn’t stop it from becoming more, becoming a reminder that she was still breathing, that she could still thrive, no matter how gloomy things seemed.
With that in mind, the cab ride flew by. As it pulled over to the Talon, she paid the driver, which reminded her of another facet of that trip. She really did need the job, as this money wouldn't last forever, but still she found herself hesitating.
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, or that she thought he had done enough, Oliver had convinced her to move on from that. But that didn't stop her from thinking about what she had done in that life. Could she go back and give it her all? Was it the same as the mess she had created working with Clark?
Unlocking the door, Chloe knew that she had to think this decision through, but that wasn’t going to be easy with her cousin being here… for some reason. Chloe was sure that Lois was supposed to be at work, but instead, she was standing in the middle of the kitchen.
“Lois, hey.”
Her cousin was less amused, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Don’t hey me. What happened?”
Because one day, she was here and then next thing Lois knew was that her cousin left on a red eye to California. The note was there, as well as the voicemail that Chloe left later, but that wasn't enough.
Chloe sighed as she walked past the kitchen to her bed. “I needed a break. Some alone time.” She knew that Lois would follow her, that was fine. It wasn't like she was trying to hide, she just wanted to unpack and carry on with her day.
“You could have talked to me.”
It seemed like a simple concept to Lois, but Chloe thought she had done that. Lately, talking things out didn't have the effect that she wanted, or at least, not until a few nights ago. “Maybe, but I’m not apologizing, because it turned out to be exactly what I needed.”
That seemed to be true, based on what Clark had told her yesterday, not to mention the smile that Chloe gave her now. Walking next to her cousin, she still wanted to point out, “You still talked to Clark before me.”
Because there hadn't been a lack of effort of Lois' effort. Multiple emails and text messages were left unanswered.
Chloe understood that, so she dropped the clothes in her hand and looked towards Lois. Maybe there was a way that she could still help. “Well, to make it up to you, how about I tell you something that he doesn’t know?”
Walking up to the bed, Lois pushed the bag further so she could sit down. “I’m listening.”
Chloe chuckled before following suit. “I ran into Oliver in Star City and he offered me a job.”
“What?" Lois sprung up and stood in front of Chloe. No wonder she was so happy, if things went that well for her, then Lois couldn't blame her. "That’s amazing.”
“Is it?” Pursing her lips, Chloe glanced down. “I… haven’t accepted it yet.”
“Are you kidding me?” Lois leaned down, not believing her ears as she tried to get her cousin’s attention back. That made no sense to her, which implied more secrets, as Lois had a feeling that she would never know what the real problem was in Chloe’s marriage. Heck, Jimmy probably didn’t know, but there was no way Chloe was getting away with this secret too. “It’s probably a great opportunity and it basically says screw you to Lex.”
For a minute, Chloe wanted to tell Lois everything, but she bit her tongue because it wouldn’t do any good now. But looking at it from another perspective, Chloe knew that she had to come up with a convincing reason why she was hesitating. “He’s coming back Lois,” she said, watching as her cousin’s eyes widened. “I’d be working for him personally.”
Taking a step back, Lois nodded. “Wow, okay.” At least that made some sense. Granted, she had never imagined that they had become so close, but maybe that was the real victory in the trip. “Actually, that’s even better.”
“Really?”
Lois shrugged. “It was two years ago. I’ve come to peace with it.” More importantly, they had moved on and started to manage a pretty decent long distance friendship. That was why the information that he was coming back seemed strange, because Oliver had never mentioned anything to her. He hadn’t even told Lois that he had run into Chloe in Star City. But maybe there was something more going on.
“Really?” Chloe repeated, because as far as she was concerned, Lois was taking this way too well.
That was because she had her secret of her own. “Yeah, actually, I… have a date with Clark on Friday.” This wasn’t how Lois wanted to tell Chloe, but she hoped that a little bit of honesty might open up her cousin to trust her with what had happened over the past few months.
Unfortunately, Chloe was too stunned at that news. “I’m sorry, what?” It wasn’t a crazy concept, but she had never anticipated that her life coming apart would be what would bring together her best friend and closest cousin.
“After he talked with you in Star City, Clark came to me and we realized that the reason we fought so much was maybe because we’re not great at relationships either.” It was nice for a change, not being so absorbed with their opinions on what was best for Chloe and actually talk to each other like normal people. “We ended up talking all night and then Clark said he wanted to give us a shot.”
“And you said yes.”
“I let him sweat for a bit, but he wasn’t wrong.” For a long time, there had been this weird spark between them, it just took until now for them to realize what it meant. “And that’s all I’m saying on that matter because right now I’m wondering if that’s all that happened between you and Oliver.”
Chloe coughed, as that wasn’t the case at all. “Technically no, but it’s not what you think.” When Lois’ eyebrow perked up, she knew she had to clarify quickly. “He ended up being a great listener, being mostly separate from the issue and all.”
Lois seemed less than convinced. “That’s it?”
It didn’t take long for Chloe to say, “That’s it.” However, she felt herself pause as her cousin threw the white flag and left her alone in the room. It wasn’t as if she doubted her words, those were true, but it was more than that.
Oliver was more than a great listener, he provided her the piece she had looked for so long, along with the rest of the team. So why was she so hesitant on denying herself of more?
~0~
Despite the time that had passed since he had stood in this office, it felt like Oliver had never left. The skyline felt familiar, the questions he had heard before, but he had noticed a familiar face among the crowd at the press conference, which made it easier. He knew to expect her presence, as that was her style and it was refreshing hearing her voice in the crowd compared to the others.
After the press conference ended, he went back up to his office, determined to get a decent amount of work done this afternoon, but it wasn’t long before his assistant knocked on his door.
“Mr. Queen,” she said. “There’s a particular reporter who won’t leave without seeing you.”
He grinned, as the way she said that implied who was there. “Send her in.”
Clicking his pen, he looked up in time to see Lois standing in the doorway. “When Chloe said you were coming back,” she said, “I thought she was kidding.”
Oliver chuckled as he pushed his chair back and stood up. “I hope there are no hard feelings.” They had managed to maintain their friendship, but that was different when there was almost an entire country between them.
It also didn’t stop Oliver from disliking how he had ended things. He wanted to believe that if he could change a few things, he could have made it work between them, but seeing Lois now, he knew that he made the right call.
“No, I get it now.” Long-term, it really wasn’t going to work, but what they had allowed her to appreciate the relationship she had now. “But I really appreciate what you’re doing for Chloe. She’s a hard worker and she won’t let you down.”
It was encouraging to know that Chloe had told someone about the job offer. However, with Chloe, he wasn’t sure if that was enough. “I’m not the one who needs to be convinced. Has she said anything to you?”
“No, but she didn’t have to.” After Lois had left the room that first day Chloe came back to Metropolis, she had attempted to come back to give Chloe a cup of coffee, but she reconsidered when she noticed the smile on her cousin’s face. That told her everything Lois needed to know. “You’ll see her on Monday morning, trust me.”
His reaction wasn’t much, but she had caught a few of his tells that showed his surprise. Her grin widened. “See you around, Oliver.”
Oliver smiled back at her, but even as Lois left the room, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Lois had said. That maintained even as he went through the rest of the motions that day. He wasn't sure why he cared so much about her acceptance, but Oliver had a feeling it was because it was a chance for him to help someone again.
Then again, it wasn’t like things had been great for him lately. After barely surviving an attempted takeover of Queen Industries, this was something that he wanted to go right. Victor had been integral in finding the leak and ensuring that it stayed quiet, but Oliver never considered that someone who had wanted to bring so much peace would want to tear his life apart. However, it didn't take much for Tess to change her tune once Oliver explained who she was really working with.
That was the real reason they had come back to Metropolis, as the idea of keeping his enemies closer seemed like a good idea. He liked to think that was also why Chloe brought back into his life, as he saw a potential for mutual benefit here. Like him, she was someone who didn't easily accept help, and he didn't want to force her, but he thought it was for the best.
Packing up his things after a long day, now was the moment of the truth. He ran into Victor on the way down in the elevator, and he said that he hadn't heard anything today, but Dinah would be late. That was fine, as they would technically be shorthanded while AC posed as Green Arrow in Star City.
But when they got to the building, the only person he saw waiting for them was Bart. He looked normal, as Victor was the only person who knew that there was a chance Chloe would be joining them, and the only reason for that was because he knew how to add access to headquarters.
Still, her absence hurt more than Oliver wanted to admit. He really thought he had gotten through to her.
"Rough day?" Bart asked in the elevator, trying to figure out what was wrong. Apparently Oliver had also become transparent.
"Just tired. I'll be good in a few minutes."
When the elevator doors opened, Bart zipped out, as he hadn't come here yet and probably wanted to check it out. But what Oliver hadn't anticipated was what he would exclaim once he got inside.
"Pizza!"
Picking up his pace, Oliver felt nervous as he wondered how that got there, but that was answered by the voice he heard next.
"Figured you guys would be hungry," Chloe said, and upon hearing her voice, Bart nodded his approval. With a smile, she looked towards Oliver. “I hope this was okay. Victor gave me my access code, so I thought I would get acclimatized.”
That comment caused Oliver to turn towards Victor almost immediately.
“What?” Victor said. Technically, he hadn’t lied, as Chloe had told him that she was in before they got on the flight to Metropolis. Sure, he could have told Oliver that, but she wanted to surprise him. After he hugged Chloe, he turned back around, noticing how Oliver had continued to stare at him. “I regret nothing.”
Oliver shook his head as Victor joined Bart at the pizza boxes. “You had me worried there,” he said, as he heard Chloe approach him from behind.
She grinned, reminded of how fast Bart could eat, amused by how Victor rolled his eyes. “I strongly considered the possibility of turning this down. But in the end, something you said got to me.” Oliver had turned his head towards her, so she sighed. “To be happy, I just need the right people in my life. I’m ready for what’s next, but I can’t make the mistake of trying to do everything on my own again. Family is what you make it and… this team already feels like family.”
Matching her grin, Oliver said, “Welcome back Watchtower.” Reaching his arm around her back, he placed his hand on her far shoulder and pulled her against his side.
Chloe felt her insides warm as she leaned towards him. “Thanks Arrow.”
They used their codenames, but as they joined the other two, they knew they had grown more as Chloe and Oliver. They knew that this was a new beginning to bringing justice to the world, of renewed peace in their lives, and a chance to move forward from the ghosts of their past. So in that moment, despite what imperfections would come their way, life felt pretty great.
~End~
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