The Trouble with Love 16
Author: Joy Blue
Title: The Trouble with Love 16/22
Rating: R
Summary: Because sometimes, not all scars can heal with time.
Spoilers: Up to season 9 is fair game
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Warning: mild violence, adult situation in future chapters.
Feedback: Please do!
The Trouble with Love 16
Victor stared at Sandra, unable to believe what he just heard.
“Sorry... could you just say that again? I don’t think I heard you right.”
“I need your help make things right between Chloe and Oliver.”
All Victor wanted to do was to drop some files for Oliver. He was trying to
be polite, greeted Sandra a good morning and congratulated her on her
newborn son. How the conversation ended up here, he didn’t know.
“I don’t know what to say...”
Sandra rolled her eyes at the confused man. Not that she could blame him. S
he took a deep breath before she spoke again.
“I don’t love him, and I know he doesn’t love me. I know the reason he
proposed was because he wanted to take responsibility for his actions and
I never should have accepted it"
Seeing the man before her still completely stumped, she continued.
“When I was six, my dad walked out on us and left us for another woman.
I saw what it did to my mom, and I swore to myself that I would never put
another woman through that.”
When Victor still continued to stare at her blankly, she explained further.
“I know Oliver lost his parents when he was young, and I think that’s also why
he wanted us to get married. So Connor can have a mother and a father;
and for a moment, so did I. Then I realised I was doing what I swore I’d never do.
Besides, we don’t have to be married to provide Connor with a family. We both deserve
to be with partners who would love us, and I want my son to grow up surrounded by
people who love each other.”
“I... I really didn’t expect to hear that from you.”
“It’s too much to ask, I know. But I already made two mistakes. I slept with Oliver,
which I have no defence but complete stupidity. Then I was stupid enough to say ‘yes’
when he proposed. I don’t want to make it to three. He needs to get back with Chloe.”
“Uh, Sandra... I don’t think they’ll ever get back together... It’s not that simple.”
“They have to.” Sandra said with so much conviction, Victor was again taken by surprise.
“I know Oliver was still recovering from his kidnapping ordeal. I think
when he was with me, he could pretend that it ever happened, and I’m not defending
his or our actions. No matter what way I explain it, we were wrong, end of story.
Getting married won’t make it right. They need to get back together. Will you help me?”
A loud buzzing noise shook Victor from his memories. He never knew what Sandra had planned, a
few days later; she was killed in a car accident.
He looked at the monitors and took a deep breath when he saw what caused the alarm.
“Shit,” Victor muttered as his fingers started to type commands on the keyboard as his
heart thundered against his chest when he heard Watchtower.
/Isis has been breached. Level 1 defence initiated./
Victor inserted a USB and typed in a new command.
/Warning, level 1 defence has failed. Level 2 defence initiated./
“They’re good...” Victor said as he looked at all the monitors around him.
/Initiating final firewall./
As he looked back on the screens, he could see the hackers quickly dispense of
the defences he just brought up.
/Firewall has failed. Initiating second block./
/System breach level 3. Files download initiated./
“Shit, they’re too quick!” Victor said as he tried to put up more counter the attack,
but the hackers were just shutting his defences down within seconds.
/Warning. System breach complete. Files download completed. System has been corrupted./
In a few seconds, he saw all the encrypted files disappear and the screens turned black.
“Watchtower, are you secure?”
/Yes, Cyborg. Watchtower is secure and has not been breached./
“Has Isis been compromised?”
/Yes. Isis has now been fully breached. Shall I initiate system shut down?/
“Go ahead, Watchtower.”
/Negative, Cyborg. Isis has been fully compromised. Unable to shut down./
Victor took a deep breath before he issued the next command.
“Abandon Isis and initiate a security check on your system.”
/Copy, Cyrborg./
Victor stood up and looked around the room, a little disappointed that no one was
around for him to share his victory.
“That went well.”
_*_*
“Chloe, are you and Connor alright?” George asked the moment as he saw the pair.
He never realised how much he cared for Chloe until he heard the news of the attempted abduction.
“We’re fine, Thank you for asking.” Chloe replied as Connor kept her hand in his.
They looked at each other, and Connor frowned as George looked at his Aunt Chloe.
“Where’s my dad?”
“We’re still trying to contact him, Connor.” Chloe answered softly. “Would you like to sleep for a while?”
Connor shook his head, but George could already see how much Connor struggled to stay awake.
“Follow me.” George said softly as he led them to an interview room. “It’s not a hotel room,
but I can get the guys the push the couch in here so Connor can rest.”
It only took a few minutes for the couch, a pillow and a blanket arrived for Connor who
refused to sleep, but the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.
Chloe accepted the cup of coffee George offered as he sat next to her inside the interview room.
“Are you really okay?”
“I am. I’m just surprised they took us here in Metropolis.”
George chuckled as he looked at Connor.
“The MPD had to wrestle a few arms to get you guys in here; Connor was considered top
priority with the ongoing investigation. They want to make sure there was no connection
between your attempted abduction to what happened at the museum.”
“Is there a connection?”
“None so far.” George replied as he looked at Chloe. “They’re part of a gang that’s just started out.
Drug dealing, abductions and assault seem to be their common theme.”
“Connor doesn’t want to talk about what happened at the museum, I’ve asked him about it, and he just clams up.”
“It would’ve been pretty upsetting for him, and now for this to happen...”
Chloe nodded her head and was about to speak when AC walked into the room.
“Hey, Chloe...”
Chloe stood up to embrace AC and introduced the two men.
“Where’s Oliver?”
“He’s tied up in a business meeting. He couldn’t get out of it.” AC replied as he
observed the detective. “Oliver asked me to pick you both up.”
Chloe just nodded as she looked at George.
“Thank you, for letting Connor get some rest.”
“It’s not a problem, Chloe. I’ll talk to you soon.”
_*_*
“Sir? We’ve breached the system. We have all their files.”
“Make sure all the information is ready soon, or I’ll be very disappointed.”
“We’re in! All files have been decoded. Shall I put it up on the screen?” One of the hackers
asked and Malcolm nodded in response.
Everyone looked up in anticipation at the black screens. Slowly, Chloe Sullivan’s face showed up
on one screen, followed by the Green Arrow, Cyborg and Impulse.
The smile on Malcolm’s face disappeared as the images on the screen changed. Each screen showed
the failed 33.1 labs that the Justice League had already destroyed, including past researches that Lex
had been involved in.
Malcolm looked at Lex through his laptop, completely shocked.
“Mr. President, I don’t know how to explain this...”
Instead of being angry, Malcolm was surprised to see a shadow of a smile on Lex’s face.
“It appears to be very simple; you’ve all been outwitted by college drop-outs. Contact me again
when you have something more substantial to report.”
Lex stood up as as he ended the connection with Malcolm. He looked outside the hotel window a
nd gazed down on the streets of Metropolis.
He expected nothing less of Chloe Sullivan. He knew he shouldn’t have been disappointed that
Malcolm’s hackers were able to infiltrate Isis with minimal resistance.
“Where do you hide them, Chloe?”
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and he looked behind as he saw one of
his men walk in, with a newspaper in hand.
Lex took the newspaper and looked at the front page before he spoke.
“I’ll be out in an hour, have everything ready by then.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
Lex looked at the Inquisitor and smiled. At the front page was a picture of him with Chloe inside t
he restaurant in what can look like an intimate position.
The expression on Chloe Sullivan’s face as she exited the restaurant was priceless.
All his plans were going along perfectly. He took a phone out of his pocket and dialled a number.
“Prepare the facility for our special guests. Expect them by the end of the week.”
_*_*
And another chapter done, I’m assuming that Chloe and Victor never got a chance to finish
their university degree, hence the college drop-out reference.
Thank you again for all your wonderful comments and thoughts in this fic!