An Origin Story: 1/23
Author: BlueSuede
Title: An Origin Story
Rating: R/M
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Pairings: Chloe/Oliver
Summary: AU in which Oliver's parents never died
Warnings: minor spoilers for most early seasons
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Previous (Prologue)
Next (Chapter 2)
Chapter 1:
Maid Marion and How She Came to Nottingham
(Present Day)
George Weisinger leaned across his desk and scrutinized the young woman before him. "Look, young lady, I'm not going to pretend you haven't got a good resume. You do. I'm not going to pretend I'm not impressed by the personal letter of recommendation from Perry White. I am. I'm not even going to pretend that you're not a good writer. You are."
Chloe Sullivan met his eyes. "But?" she prompted.
"But I want to know why the Planet fired you, and why no one over there would take my calls when I tried to do a background check on you." He looked at her expectantly, and Chloe recognized that the former reporter had slipped out of interviewing her for a job and into interviewing her for a story. She could see the difference in his eyes.
Chloe smiled. "I barked up the wrong tree."
"Whose?"
"Lex Luthor's. In response, he bought out the Daily Planet just so he could fire me." She rolled her eyes at the over-dramatic response to her planned article and tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
Weisinger looked so surprised by this response to his question that he actually leaned back in his chair and stared at her. "You what?"
This time, a bit of ice crept into her tone. "Please don't make me repeat it."
He laughed. He didn't chuckle; he outright laughed loudly, a deep sound that resonated through his chest, and Chloe bristled. Gathering her resume and portfolio from the desk, she stood to leave, knowing a lost cause when she saw one. Weisinger's hand reached out to stop her. "All right, Sullivan. Anyone with that much nerve is welcome at my paper. You start tomorrow. I expect nothing short of Pullitzer material from you. There will be a desk waiting for you. Come see me for your first assignment."
Hardly daring to believe her good fortune, Chloe shook his hand vigorously. "Thank you so much. You won't regret this."
His jolliness diminished as he switched into a tone that suggested superiority, indicating that she had just made the transition into being his employee. "I should hope not. Like I said, Sullivan: I want Pullitzers from you, nothing less."
Chloe grinned confidently. "You'll get them," she said before leaving his office. Once outside she glanced up at the building, beaming at the sign above her head: Star City Gazette.
She stopped at a coffee shop on her way home and sipped contentedly on the overpriced concoction as she walked, taking in the glorious day around her. Being fired from the Planet had been such a heavy blow-she shook her head at the thought, not liking to dwell on it-she'd never thought she'd recover. She'd been positive Luthor would have her blacklisted, and her only hope had been Mr. White-Perry, as he insisted she call him. She'd never thought he'd come through so much for her, considering how little he knew of her. Since their chance meeting in Smallville years ago, she'd kept brief contact with him, recognizing what a valuable connection he could be, and he'd given her a lot of tips along the way. She'd told him the story of her tango with Luthor and he'd been overcome with a combination of indignation on her behalf, pride in her for not selling out, and determination to help her. When he wrote the letter of recommendation it had been more than enough, but the fact that he had gone out of his way to set her up for interviews at paper across the country...well, she hadn't known what to say. She'd never imagined that Perry White held as much weight as he did in the journalistic world. She'd received interviews from everywhere: The Post, The News, The Times...the list went on. When she'd gotten the call from the Gazette, though, actually requesting an interview, it had been more than she'd been able to hope for. Moving to Star City was her chance to start over.
With this thought, she passed over the boundary between Orchid Bay and the neighborhood referred to as the "Triangle." She shuddered at the thought of taking this route home every day. It was all right in daylight, but the Triangle had long been fought over by Star City's various organized crime factions, and to say the least, it wasn't precisely a nice neighborhood. She hoped she wouldn't have to invest in a car, but it might be her only option. She wouldn't go to that extreme yet, though. With any luck she'd be safe to walk home or if she got jittery, take the bus. After all, she wasn't some helpless damsel in distress. She didn't carry a pistol in her purse because it matched her belt buckle.
The walk through the Triangle eventually led her to The Glades. She needed to tell the manager of the apartment complex there that she wanted take the place on the tenth floor after all.
Two weeks later, Chloe was finally in the groove of things. Moving into her apartment had been easy with Clark to help her. He was sorry to see her moving away, but promised to come visit her occasionally. Chloe wasn't worried. Clark would be more than fine without her. He had Lois now. It wouldn't be difficult at all for him to make those visits, and secretly-though not without much guilt-she was a little bit glad to be putting some miles between herself and Clark. Yes, he was her best friend, and yes, she would always be there when he needed her, but the complications that Clark and his secret had brought into her life...well, they were beginning to take their toll on her. She was readily embracing her new life in Star City without regret.
At work, she was already earning the respect of those around her. Unlike at the Planet, she hadn't had to work her way up from the basement. Weisinger had dropped her in the bull pen to see how she'd handle it, and so far she was rising to the occasion. He'd assigned her a series of articles so eclectic that she could tell he was testing her. So far she'd covered a new display at the Grell Museum, interviewed the coach of the Rockets (Star City's baseball team) about the upcoming season, attended the newly elected mayor Thomas Bolt's inauguration, and interviewed the head architect of a project which would update Star Bridge to make it safer. She couldn't believe her good luck that Weisinger was trusting her with these things, and she'd managed not to let him down yet. She just prayed she could hold his favor.
She'd finally found a decent place on the way to the Gazette, and as she swilled the remnants of an Almond Mocha in the bottom of her cup, she reviewed her most recent article, spellchecking it before sending it to the printers.
"Hi, Miss Sullivan," said a shy voice. Chloe looked up and grinned at fifteen-year-old Jeremy, who was wearing a camera around his neck and blushing furiously. Jeremy was a very sweet, polite boy with red hair and freckles and of average height for his age. Apparently the young man had developed a small crush on her over the past couple of days.
"Hi, Jeremy. How are you today?"
"I'm good," he beamed. "I've got those pictures of the suspension bridge you wanted," he held them up for her. "And Mr. Weisinger sent me to get you, said it's important."
Chloe's grin became slightly more set as the familiar determination gripped her. She wondered vaguely what Weisinger had in store for her today. "Thanks, Jeremy." She flipped through the photos briskly and grinned at their quality. "Great photos. Thanks. Would you mind grabbing my last article from the printer for me? I don't want to keep Weisinger waiting."
Delighted, Jeremy nodded. "No problem, Miss Sullivan. Good luck!" he added over his shoulder as he ran off.
Chloe strode purposefully into Weisinger's office without knocking. "You wanted to see me?" she announced her entrance, and Weisinger looked up.
"What took you so long?" he asked brusquely, and Chloe hid a smile. She knew he already approved of her vastly, but his way of showing it was to be as surly as possible. The man before her flipped through a few things, made an irritable call to his secretary, and lit a cigar before eventually getting around to Chloe. She knew he was making her wait on purpose, but she didn't take the bait, just waited patiently for him to get around to it. "Got an interview for you. I figured with your history with Luthor, this should be right up your alley. Billionaires and all," he shrugged, an amused smirk flickering across his face. "Robert Queen, head of Queen Industries, is signing a new deal with the Pentagon. He's agreed to an interview. You'll meet him at 5:30 at the Queen building."
Chloe swallowed. For the first time since Weisinger had hired her, she wondered whether she were the right person for the job. The last time she'd gone head to head with the billionaire CEO of a company, she'd ended up having her entire life uprooted. Then again, from what she knew of Queen Industries, it was at a completely different end of the spectrum from Luthorcorp.
Weisinger quirked an eyebrow at her silence. He put on a high pitched voice. "Why thank you, Mr. Weisinger. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this opportunity. I promise I won't let you down." His voice returned to its usual gruff quality, "That's all right, Sullivan, just don't screw up." High again, "No, really. I don't deserve the amazing treatment you've given me. It's too much. I don't know what to say." His own voice again, "Shut up, Sullivan." High, "Yes, Mr. Weisinger."
Chloe tried her best not to, but she laughed anyway. "Thank you, Mr. Weisinger. I'll take care of it."
He ignored her statement. "Where's that article on the Star Bridge I ordered? I expected on my desk five min-"
"Miss Sullivan?" Jeremy had poked his head timidly inside the office. "I have that article for you."
Smiling at him, Chloe took the article and photographs off his hands and gave them to the editor. "Thanks Jeremy," she whispered before he ducked out.
Grousing under his breath regardless, Weisinger grumbled for Chloe to quit slacking, and Chloe took it as her cue to take her leave.
She sat down wearily at her desk and checked her e-mail. There was a brief one from Lois, asking how she was doing at the Gazette and then swiftly delving into her latest triumph at the Planet. Chloe smiled as she read it, shaking her head at her cousin. Eventually she noted that she should leave early to change and make herself presentable for the interview with Robert Queen.
At home, she changed into fresh clothes and washed her face before reapplying her makeup. As she did so, she had her laptop before her and was researching everything there was to know about Robert Queen, Queen Industries, and the new contract with the Pentagon so that she could compile her interview questions.
At exactly 5:20, Chloe was getting out of her taxi and riding the elevator up to the top floor, the executive's office.
When she walked in the door five minutes later, she found Mr. Queen's secretary, a thin, flighty looking woman with tightly curled brown hair, seated at her desk as a tall, attractive young man leaned across it. Chloe instantly noted that the secretary was blushing, and Chloe smiled. Then she heard what he was saying.
"You know, Miss Hart, have I ever told you I love that perfume you wear?"
If possible, Miss Hart blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Only every time you want something."
He leaned forward even further, grinning. "Well, I mean it. What scent is that?"
"Chanel No. 5"
"I'll have to remember to send you some for you birthday. It's in about a month isn't it."
Genuinely flustered, the woman nodded, and Chloe rolled her eyes, as yet unnoticed by either of them.
"Listen, all I want is to talk to him. I just need you to tell me where he is. I won't even tell him it was you. Is he in his office or not?"
"I told you, sir, he's not to be disturbed. He has an appointment beginning any minute now. I'm sorry." There was a note of exasperation to her voice even as she managed to be flattered by his sweet-talk.
Just as the man was opening his mouth to reply, Chloe decided to make herself known. "Actually, his appointment is here," she raised her hand slightly as though indicating her presence. Miss Hart and the man looked up in surprise.
"You must be Miss Sullivan," said the secretary, jotting something down before sending a page, clearly grateful for the break from undesired flirtation.
"Yes. I'm here to see Mr. Queen."
At this, the man smirked and leaned against the desk so as to face her. "Look no further."
Chloe fought an urge to roll her eyes. Careful to keep as much of the disdain out of her voice as possible, she replied, "You are not Robert Queen."
The smirk became more distinct. "Nope. His son."
Immediately Chloe was grateful she hadn't done or said anything stupid. She'd heard a fair amount of gossip about Oliver Queen. He was rumored to be taking over his father's company in the next few years, though that hadn't been confirmed. Though he was thought of as a shrewd businessman, very much his father's son in that way, he was also Star City's wild child, so to speak. He got into more trouble than the media could keep up with, and he usually did it all with at least one woman per arm. She swallowed. Billionaires.
Oliver raised an eyebrow at Chloe's silence, but Miss Hart interrupted them. "You can go on in, Miss Sullivan. He's expecting you."
Oliver's expression quickly turned to an indignant one. "Now how come you'll do that for her?"
Chloe failed to suppress a grin. "You heard her, I'm expected," she said, nudging him slightly as she walked past him to the secretary's desk. She leaned over the desk as though to say something confidential. "Anything I should know about him?"
"He likes blondes," she said, rolling her eyes. "And he drinks too much for his own good."
Chloe frowned before realizing what she meant. "I meant the father," she said with a chuckle.
"Oh. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Mr. Queen is an extremely kind man."
Chloe smiled. "Thanks..."
"Leanne."
"Thank you, Leanne." With which remark, Chloe headed straight into the office, purposefully not giving Oliver Queen a second glance.
Previous (Prologue)
Next (Chapter 2)
Title: An Origin Story
Rating: R/M
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Pairings: Chloe/Oliver
Summary: AU in which Oliver's parents never died
Warnings: minor spoilers for most early seasons
banner from dandiandi22
Previous (Prologue)
Next (Chapter 2)
Chapter 1:
Maid Marion and How She Came to Nottingham
(Present Day)
George Weisinger leaned across his desk and scrutinized the young woman before him. "Look, young lady, I'm not going to pretend you haven't got a good resume. You do. I'm not going to pretend I'm not impressed by the personal letter of recommendation from Perry White. I am. I'm not even going to pretend that you're not a good writer. You are."
Chloe Sullivan met his eyes. "But?" she prompted.
"But I want to know why the Planet fired you, and why no one over there would take my calls when I tried to do a background check on you." He looked at her expectantly, and Chloe recognized that the former reporter had slipped out of interviewing her for a job and into interviewing her for a story. She could see the difference in his eyes.
Chloe smiled. "I barked up the wrong tree."
"Whose?"
"Lex Luthor's. In response, he bought out the Daily Planet just so he could fire me." She rolled her eyes at the over-dramatic response to her planned article and tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
Weisinger looked so surprised by this response to his question that he actually leaned back in his chair and stared at her. "You what?"
This time, a bit of ice crept into her tone. "Please don't make me repeat it."
He laughed. He didn't chuckle; he outright laughed loudly, a deep sound that resonated through his chest, and Chloe bristled. Gathering her resume and portfolio from the desk, she stood to leave, knowing a lost cause when she saw one. Weisinger's hand reached out to stop her. "All right, Sullivan. Anyone with that much nerve is welcome at my paper. You start tomorrow. I expect nothing short of Pullitzer material from you. There will be a desk waiting for you. Come see me for your first assignment."
Hardly daring to believe her good fortune, Chloe shook his hand vigorously. "Thank you so much. You won't regret this."
His jolliness diminished as he switched into a tone that suggested superiority, indicating that she had just made the transition into being his employee. "I should hope not. Like I said, Sullivan: I want Pullitzers from you, nothing less."
Chloe grinned confidently. "You'll get them," she said before leaving his office. Once outside she glanced up at the building, beaming at the sign above her head: Star City Gazette.
She stopped at a coffee shop on her way home and sipped contentedly on the overpriced concoction as she walked, taking in the glorious day around her. Being fired from the Planet had been such a heavy blow-she shook her head at the thought, not liking to dwell on it-she'd never thought she'd recover. She'd been positive Luthor would have her blacklisted, and her only hope had been Mr. White-Perry, as he insisted she call him. She'd never thought he'd come through so much for her, considering how little he knew of her. Since their chance meeting in Smallville years ago, she'd kept brief contact with him, recognizing what a valuable connection he could be, and he'd given her a lot of tips along the way. She'd told him the story of her tango with Luthor and he'd been overcome with a combination of indignation on her behalf, pride in her for not selling out, and determination to help her. When he wrote the letter of recommendation it had been more than enough, but the fact that he had gone out of his way to set her up for interviews at paper across the country...well, she hadn't known what to say. She'd never imagined that Perry White held as much weight as he did in the journalistic world. She'd received interviews from everywhere: The Post, The News, The Times...the list went on. When she'd gotten the call from the Gazette, though, actually requesting an interview, it had been more than she'd been able to hope for. Moving to Star City was her chance to start over.
With this thought, she passed over the boundary between Orchid Bay and the neighborhood referred to as the "Triangle." She shuddered at the thought of taking this route home every day. It was all right in daylight, but the Triangle had long been fought over by Star City's various organized crime factions, and to say the least, it wasn't precisely a nice neighborhood. She hoped she wouldn't have to invest in a car, but it might be her only option. She wouldn't go to that extreme yet, though. With any luck she'd be safe to walk home or if she got jittery, take the bus. After all, she wasn't some helpless damsel in distress. She didn't carry a pistol in her purse because it matched her belt buckle.
The walk through the Triangle eventually led her to The Glades. She needed to tell the manager of the apartment complex there that she wanted take the place on the tenth floor after all.
Two weeks later, Chloe was finally in the groove of things. Moving into her apartment had been easy with Clark to help her. He was sorry to see her moving away, but promised to come visit her occasionally. Chloe wasn't worried. Clark would be more than fine without her. He had Lois now. It wouldn't be difficult at all for him to make those visits, and secretly-though not without much guilt-she was a little bit glad to be putting some miles between herself and Clark. Yes, he was her best friend, and yes, she would always be there when he needed her, but the complications that Clark and his secret had brought into her life...well, they were beginning to take their toll on her. She was readily embracing her new life in Star City without regret.
At work, she was already earning the respect of those around her. Unlike at the Planet, she hadn't had to work her way up from the basement. Weisinger had dropped her in the bull pen to see how she'd handle it, and so far she was rising to the occasion. He'd assigned her a series of articles so eclectic that she could tell he was testing her. So far she'd covered a new display at the Grell Museum, interviewed the coach of the Rockets (Star City's baseball team) about the upcoming season, attended the newly elected mayor Thomas Bolt's inauguration, and interviewed the head architect of a project which would update Star Bridge to make it safer. She couldn't believe her good luck that Weisinger was trusting her with these things, and she'd managed not to let him down yet. She just prayed she could hold his favor.
She'd finally found a decent place on the way to the Gazette, and as she swilled the remnants of an Almond Mocha in the bottom of her cup, she reviewed her most recent article, spellchecking it before sending it to the printers.
"Hi, Miss Sullivan," said a shy voice. Chloe looked up and grinned at fifteen-year-old Jeremy, who was wearing a camera around his neck and blushing furiously. Jeremy was a very sweet, polite boy with red hair and freckles and of average height for his age. Apparently the young man had developed a small crush on her over the past couple of days.
"Hi, Jeremy. How are you today?"
"I'm good," he beamed. "I've got those pictures of the suspension bridge you wanted," he held them up for her. "And Mr. Weisinger sent me to get you, said it's important."
Chloe's grin became slightly more set as the familiar determination gripped her. She wondered vaguely what Weisinger had in store for her today. "Thanks, Jeremy." She flipped through the photos briskly and grinned at their quality. "Great photos. Thanks. Would you mind grabbing my last article from the printer for me? I don't want to keep Weisinger waiting."
Delighted, Jeremy nodded. "No problem, Miss Sullivan. Good luck!" he added over his shoulder as he ran off.
Chloe strode purposefully into Weisinger's office without knocking. "You wanted to see me?" she announced her entrance, and Weisinger looked up.
"What took you so long?" he asked brusquely, and Chloe hid a smile. She knew he already approved of her vastly, but his way of showing it was to be as surly as possible. The man before her flipped through a few things, made an irritable call to his secretary, and lit a cigar before eventually getting around to Chloe. She knew he was making her wait on purpose, but she didn't take the bait, just waited patiently for him to get around to it. "Got an interview for you. I figured with your history with Luthor, this should be right up your alley. Billionaires and all," he shrugged, an amused smirk flickering across his face. "Robert Queen, head of Queen Industries, is signing a new deal with the Pentagon. He's agreed to an interview. You'll meet him at 5:30 at the Queen building."
Chloe swallowed. For the first time since Weisinger had hired her, she wondered whether she were the right person for the job. The last time she'd gone head to head with the billionaire CEO of a company, she'd ended up having her entire life uprooted. Then again, from what she knew of Queen Industries, it was at a completely different end of the spectrum from Luthorcorp.
Weisinger quirked an eyebrow at her silence. He put on a high pitched voice. "Why thank you, Mr. Weisinger. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this opportunity. I promise I won't let you down." His voice returned to its usual gruff quality, "That's all right, Sullivan, just don't screw up." High again, "No, really. I don't deserve the amazing treatment you've given me. It's too much. I don't know what to say." His own voice again, "Shut up, Sullivan." High, "Yes, Mr. Weisinger."
Chloe tried her best not to, but she laughed anyway. "Thank you, Mr. Weisinger. I'll take care of it."
He ignored her statement. "Where's that article on the Star Bridge I ordered? I expected on my desk five min-"
"Miss Sullivan?" Jeremy had poked his head timidly inside the office. "I have that article for you."
Smiling at him, Chloe took the article and photographs off his hands and gave them to the editor. "Thanks Jeremy," she whispered before he ducked out.
Grousing under his breath regardless, Weisinger grumbled for Chloe to quit slacking, and Chloe took it as her cue to take her leave.
She sat down wearily at her desk and checked her e-mail. There was a brief one from Lois, asking how she was doing at the Gazette and then swiftly delving into her latest triumph at the Planet. Chloe smiled as she read it, shaking her head at her cousin. Eventually she noted that she should leave early to change and make herself presentable for the interview with Robert Queen.
At home, she changed into fresh clothes and washed her face before reapplying her makeup. As she did so, she had her laptop before her and was researching everything there was to know about Robert Queen, Queen Industries, and the new contract with the Pentagon so that she could compile her interview questions.
At exactly 5:20, Chloe was getting out of her taxi and riding the elevator up to the top floor, the executive's office.
When she walked in the door five minutes later, she found Mr. Queen's secretary, a thin, flighty looking woman with tightly curled brown hair, seated at her desk as a tall, attractive young man leaned across it. Chloe instantly noted that the secretary was blushing, and Chloe smiled. Then she heard what he was saying.
"You know, Miss Hart, have I ever told you I love that perfume you wear?"
If possible, Miss Hart blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Only every time you want something."
He leaned forward even further, grinning. "Well, I mean it. What scent is that?"
"Chanel No. 5"
"I'll have to remember to send you some for you birthday. It's in about a month isn't it."
Genuinely flustered, the woman nodded, and Chloe rolled her eyes, as yet unnoticed by either of them.
"Listen, all I want is to talk to him. I just need you to tell me where he is. I won't even tell him it was you. Is he in his office or not?"
"I told you, sir, he's not to be disturbed. He has an appointment beginning any minute now. I'm sorry." There was a note of exasperation to her voice even as she managed to be flattered by his sweet-talk.
Just as the man was opening his mouth to reply, Chloe decided to make herself known. "Actually, his appointment is here," she raised her hand slightly as though indicating her presence. Miss Hart and the man looked up in surprise.
"You must be Miss Sullivan," said the secretary, jotting something down before sending a page, clearly grateful for the break from undesired flirtation.
"Yes. I'm here to see Mr. Queen."
At this, the man smirked and leaned against the desk so as to face her. "Look no further."
Chloe fought an urge to roll her eyes. Careful to keep as much of the disdain out of her voice as possible, she replied, "You are not Robert Queen."
The smirk became more distinct. "Nope. His son."
Immediately Chloe was grateful she hadn't done or said anything stupid. She'd heard a fair amount of gossip about Oliver Queen. He was rumored to be taking over his father's company in the next few years, though that hadn't been confirmed. Though he was thought of as a shrewd businessman, very much his father's son in that way, he was also Star City's wild child, so to speak. He got into more trouble than the media could keep up with, and he usually did it all with at least one woman per arm. She swallowed. Billionaires.
Oliver raised an eyebrow at Chloe's silence, but Miss Hart interrupted them. "You can go on in, Miss Sullivan. He's expecting you."
Oliver's expression quickly turned to an indignant one. "Now how come you'll do that for her?"
Chloe failed to suppress a grin. "You heard her, I'm expected," she said, nudging him slightly as she walked past him to the secretary's desk. She leaned over the desk as though to say something confidential. "Anything I should know about him?"
"He likes blondes," she said, rolling her eyes. "And he drinks too much for his own good."
Chloe frowned before realizing what she meant. "I meant the father," she said with a chuckle.
"Oh. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Mr. Queen is an extremely kind man."
Chloe smiled. "Thanks..."
"Leanne."
"Thank you, Leanne." With which remark, Chloe headed straight into the office, purposefully not giving Oliver Queen a second glance.
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Next (Chapter 2)