The Trouble with Love
The Trouble with Love 1/?
“Where is she?”
Oliver tried to hide a smile as he held his son’s hands as they looked around the crowds. Connor Queen was about to graduate in his karate class to a yellow belt. At seven years of age, Connor was tall for his age, his blond hair and brown eyes almost an exact replica of his father. Every time Connor smiled at him, Oliver could see his fiance in their son, and there was a feeling of pride, loneliness, happiness and so many different emotions. He could never make up for his mistakes, but he could never regret his actions, because out of everything, he was blessed with Connor.
“There she is!”
Oliver was shaken out of his thoughts as his son practically forgot about him and ran towards their special guest.
“Aunt Chloe! Aunt Chloe, you came!”
Connor wrapped his arms around Chloe who scooped the little boy in her arms as she lowered herself to meet him. “You came!”
Chloe grinned as she ruffled Connor’s hair. “Of course, I did. I promised you didn’t I?”
Connor looked at Chloe, his face in a small frown. “You’re late!”
“I know, I know.” Chloe replied as she looked at Connor with a twinkle in her eyes. “You think you can forgive me?”
“You’re here now, so it’s okay.”
Chloe laughed as she stood up and the smile on her face slipped a little as she saw Oliver. “Oliver, it’s been a while.”
“Thanks for coming; Connor’s been looking forward to seeing you again.”
“I can’t say no to Connor, can I?” She asked, but her eyes were on Connor who grinned as she held his hands. “Ready to graduate to yellow belt?”
“Uh-huh!” Connor replied as he led Chloe to where his dad was. He took Oliver’s hands in his other hand and the trio walked to where the ceremony was going to be held. Connor swung their hands as they walked, and to anyone who didn’t know, they looked like a family.
As they continued to walk, Chloe kept her focus on Connor, and tried to ignore Oliver as she listened to the little boy who talked excitedly about his upcoming summer vacation.
“Dad’s taking me to South Africa as a gift for getting my yellow belt in karate! we’re going to the Serengeti! I’m going to see all the animals, you can come with us!” Connor said as he stopped and looked at his dad. “We can take Aunt Chloe, right dad?”
“I’d love to go, Connor, but I can’t. I’m working.”
“You’re always working!” Connor complained as he tightened his hold on her hands. “I want you to come with us... please!”
Chloe gently brushed Connor’s hair away from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Connor. But it’s just been so busy at Isis...”
Connor pouted as he gave Chloe a look that earned him a sigh from his father. “Connor, you know your Aunt Chloe’s busy, she’d come if she could.”
“But...”
“Connor.”
Connor immediately stopped and looked away from his dad. Oliver rarely used a stern tone to Connor, and when he does, his son usually pays attention.
Chloe tugged Connor’s hands gently. “I’m really sorry, Connor. Tell you what, when you get back, you tell me where you want to go, and if your dad’s okay with it, we’ll go. Just the two of us, how’s that?”
Connor’s face immediately lit up. “Really, promise?”
“I promise.”
Connor gave a beautiful smile as he tugged the adults towards the school hall.
Oliver looked at Chloe who glanced at him for a second before she looked away and focused her attention on Connor again.
He looked at Chloe and knew that it was useless to think of what could’ve been. The day he told her about Sandra, he could see Chloe build those walls that he broke down quickly built up again, this time stronger and he never became Ollie to her again. He was Oliver, Connor’s father; Mr. Queen, a benefactor at Isis, and Arrow, the leader of the Justice League.
He listened to his son and Chloe talked, and he could never repay Chloe for her kindness, for the attention she gave to Connor. He may have broken her heart, but she was Chloe Sullivan, and she could not ignore the screaming and crying infant in Oliver’s arms the night he visited her a few months after Sandra Hawke died.
He was out of his wits, he checked the baby’s diaper, and it was fine. The baby wasn’t hungry, and he was running out of ideas on what to do. A.C. was in Canada, on loan with the JSA, Mia was in Mexico with Bart, Dinah was in Germany with Victor, Lois still hated him and he wasn’t comfortable bringing Connor to face her wrath, and Chloe was the only one he could trust to help him.
Oliver could still remember that night all those years ago. He showed up in her office at the Isis, he could see the pain in her eyes slowly disappear behind a look of concern as he tried to hold on to Connor who was screaming and crying in his arms. Chloe didn’t say anything, but took Connor in her arms, and cradled the baby boy like he was her own.
It took a few moments, but Connor slowly stopped as he took the bottle and began to drink milk.
She looked over at Oliver briefly before she turned away. “There’s a sofa around the corner. You need to rest, Oliver. I’ll take care of him for the night.”
“Dad, I got to go.”
Oliver released Connor’s hand and his son immediately ran to his friends leaving him alone with Chloe and his memories. Chloe just looked at the program that was handed to her and walked towards their seats.
“Thank you, for coming.”
“Connor asked me.” Chloe replied without even looking at him.
Oliver nodded and played the part of the proud billionaire father as other parents started to seat next to them.
A few hours later, Oliver and Chloe watched as Connor skipped ahead of them, his yellow belt proudly displayed in his karate uniform. “Dad, Aunt Chloe, hurry up!”
The two adults picked up their pace and Connor hugged Chloe as he looked up. “You’re the best, Aunt Chloe. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem, Connor.”
“You’ll remember your promise, right? I pick a place and we’ll go together?”
Chloe nodded. “As long as your dad says it’s okay.”
The valet attendant arrived with Oliver’s car at that moment and handed Oliver his keys. Oliver shook the guy’s hand and gave him a tip as Connor turned his attention to him. “You’ll be okay with anything, right, dad?”
“As long as it doesn’t involve anything illegal, it should be fine.”
Connor rolled his eyes as he looked back at Chloe. “Do you want to come with us, Aunt Chloe? Dad’s taking me to shop for a new camera that I can take to South Africa. You can have dinner with us, too.”
Before Chloe could refuse the invitation, the trio looked behind them as someone called Chloe’s name.
Connor looked at the newcomer in suspicion as he walked towards them. “Sorry I couldn’t answer your call earlier, Chloe.”
“That’s okay.” Chloe replied with a smile as she looked at the man Connor was looking at suspiciously.
“Connor, I’d like you to meet my friend, George Dean.”
_*_*_*
TBC
“Where is she?”
Oliver tried to hide a smile as he held his son’s hands as they looked around the crowds. Connor Queen was about to graduate in his karate class to a yellow belt. At seven years of age, Connor was tall for his age, his blond hair and brown eyes almost an exact replica of his father. Every time Connor smiled at him, Oliver could see his fiance in their son, and there was a feeling of pride, loneliness, happiness and so many different emotions. He could never make up for his mistakes, but he could never regret his actions, because out of everything, he was blessed with Connor.
“There she is!”
Oliver was shaken out of his thoughts as his son practically forgot about him and ran towards their special guest.
“Aunt Chloe! Aunt Chloe, you came!”
Connor wrapped his arms around Chloe who scooped the little boy in her arms as she lowered herself to meet him. “You came!”
Chloe grinned as she ruffled Connor’s hair. “Of course, I did. I promised you didn’t I?”
Connor looked at Chloe, his face in a small frown. “You’re late!”
“I know, I know.” Chloe replied as she looked at Connor with a twinkle in her eyes. “You think you can forgive me?”
“You’re here now, so it’s okay.”
Chloe laughed as she stood up and the smile on her face slipped a little as she saw Oliver. “Oliver, it’s been a while.”
“Thanks for coming; Connor’s been looking forward to seeing you again.”
“I can’t say no to Connor, can I?” She asked, but her eyes were on Connor who grinned as she held his hands. “Ready to graduate to yellow belt?”
“Uh-huh!” Connor replied as he led Chloe to where his dad was. He took Oliver’s hands in his other hand and the trio walked to where the ceremony was going to be held. Connor swung their hands as they walked, and to anyone who didn’t know, they looked like a family.
As they continued to walk, Chloe kept her focus on Connor, and tried to ignore Oliver as she listened to the little boy who talked excitedly about his upcoming summer vacation.
“Dad’s taking me to South Africa as a gift for getting my yellow belt in karate! we’re going to the Serengeti! I’m going to see all the animals, you can come with us!” Connor said as he stopped and looked at his dad. “We can take Aunt Chloe, right dad?”
“I’d love to go, Connor, but I can’t. I’m working.”
“You’re always working!” Connor complained as he tightened his hold on her hands. “I want you to come with us... please!”
Chloe gently brushed Connor’s hair away from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Connor. But it’s just been so busy at Isis...”
Connor pouted as he gave Chloe a look that earned him a sigh from his father. “Connor, you know your Aunt Chloe’s busy, she’d come if she could.”
“But...”
“Connor.”
Connor immediately stopped and looked away from his dad. Oliver rarely used a stern tone to Connor, and when he does, his son usually pays attention.
Chloe tugged Connor’s hands gently. “I’m really sorry, Connor. Tell you what, when you get back, you tell me where you want to go, and if your dad’s okay with it, we’ll go. Just the two of us, how’s that?”
Connor’s face immediately lit up. “Really, promise?”
“I promise.”
Connor gave a beautiful smile as he tugged the adults towards the school hall.
Oliver looked at Chloe who glanced at him for a second before she looked away and focused her attention on Connor again.
He looked at Chloe and knew that it was useless to think of what could’ve been. The day he told her about Sandra, he could see Chloe build those walls that he broke down quickly built up again, this time stronger and he never became Ollie to her again. He was Oliver, Connor’s father; Mr. Queen, a benefactor at Isis, and Arrow, the leader of the Justice League.
He listened to his son and Chloe talked, and he could never repay Chloe for her kindness, for the attention she gave to Connor. He may have broken her heart, but she was Chloe Sullivan, and she could not ignore the screaming and crying infant in Oliver’s arms the night he visited her a few months after Sandra Hawke died.
He was out of his wits, he checked the baby’s diaper, and it was fine. The baby wasn’t hungry, and he was running out of ideas on what to do. A.C. was in Canada, on loan with the JSA, Mia was in Mexico with Bart, Dinah was in Germany with Victor, Lois still hated him and he wasn’t comfortable bringing Connor to face her wrath, and Chloe was the only one he could trust to help him.
Oliver could still remember that night all those years ago. He showed up in her office at the Isis, he could see the pain in her eyes slowly disappear behind a look of concern as he tried to hold on to Connor who was screaming and crying in his arms. Chloe didn’t say anything, but took Connor in her arms, and cradled the baby boy like he was her own.
It took a few moments, but Connor slowly stopped as he took the bottle and began to drink milk.
She looked over at Oliver briefly before she turned away. “There’s a sofa around the corner. You need to rest, Oliver. I’ll take care of him for the night.”
“Dad, I got to go.”
Oliver released Connor’s hand and his son immediately ran to his friends leaving him alone with Chloe and his memories. Chloe just looked at the program that was handed to her and walked towards their seats.
“Thank you, for coming.”
“Connor asked me.” Chloe replied without even looking at him.
Oliver nodded and played the part of the proud billionaire father as other parents started to seat next to them.
A few hours later, Oliver and Chloe watched as Connor skipped ahead of them, his yellow belt proudly displayed in his karate uniform. “Dad, Aunt Chloe, hurry up!”
The two adults picked up their pace and Connor hugged Chloe as he looked up. “You’re the best, Aunt Chloe. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem, Connor.”
“You’ll remember your promise, right? I pick a place and we’ll go together?”
Chloe nodded. “As long as your dad says it’s okay.”
The valet attendant arrived with Oliver’s car at that moment and handed Oliver his keys. Oliver shook the guy’s hand and gave him a tip as Connor turned his attention to him. “You’ll be okay with anything, right, dad?”
“As long as it doesn’t involve anything illegal, it should be fine.”
Connor rolled his eyes as he looked back at Chloe. “Do you want to come with us, Aunt Chloe? Dad’s taking me to shop for a new camera that I can take to South Africa. You can have dinner with us, too.”
Before Chloe could refuse the invitation, the trio looked behind them as someone called Chloe’s name.
Connor looked at the newcomer in suspicion as he walked towards them. “Sorry I couldn’t answer your call earlier, Chloe.”
“That’s okay.” Chloe replied with a smile as she looked at the man Connor was looking at suspiciously.
“Connor, I’d like you to meet my friend, George Dean.”
_*_*_*
TBC