Gift of Fate Prologue (1/?)
Summary: Oliver has been missing for two years, ever since his boat went down in a sudden storm. Chloe is still grieving for him. What will it take for her to move on and live her life again? What happened to Oliver? Will he ever come back? And who's behind the mysterious disappearances in Star City?
Rating: PG-13 for the most part, however there are sections that are NC-17 (my first attempt, for the record) for sexual content. This fic contains violence and language. Chapters containing sexual content will be preceded by a warning.
Spoilers: The entire series, basically. The basic setting is season six with a twist, but anything is fair game if it works for this fic.
Warning: Again, this is AU and is a continuation of my fic Twist of Fate, which you really need to read first or this isn't going to make any sense. There will sexual content and violence.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I'm just playing around with them.
Banner by geek_or_unique
Author's Note: Thank you to the wonderful geek_or_uniqure for the banner. It's absolutely amazing. I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews on Twist of Fate and especially on the last chapter. It's really inspiring and uplifting. Thank you so much for sticking with me.
Prologue
Warm arms encircled her waist and pulled her back until her back was tight against a hard chest. She tensed just slightly in surprise then relaxed, her hand automatically falling to rest against the much larger hands that were clasped over her stomach. She tilted her head to the side to give access to the crook of her neck. Warm breath graced her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hello,” a low, warm male voice answered. The hair on her arms rose.
Tears pricked at her eyes. “I miss you.”
The man drew back, his lips no longer brushing against her shoulder, and tightened his arms around, drawing her more firmly against him. “I know. I’m sorry. I miss you too.”
“When are you coming back?” she asked. “Are you ever coming back?”
“I...I don’t know,” the man sighed. “I think I’m lost. I don’t know where I am or how to get back to you. I think...I think you have to find me. You’re the only who can.”
“I don’t know how. I don’t even know where to look,” she said, sounding panicked.
“Look in here.” His hand rose to rest against her heart. “I’m always in here. Let it guide you.”
The woman bit back a sob. “I don’t know if I can. It’s been so long. I want you so badly. I want you to be here for everything. So much has happened since you left and I can’t even tell you about it. I don’t know if I can find you.”
“Yes, you can,” he whispered. “I know we’re not together physically, but I’ll always be here for you. Tell me whatever you want. I’ll listen.”
“It’s not the same,” she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.
“It’s the best we have,” he whispered, pulling her tight. “And if anyone can find me, it’s you. You are the only one who knows me well enough to find me, no matter where I am.”
She pulled away, walking a few steps away. “You can’t know that. You can’t depend on me like that. I’ve lost so many people and none of them came back for me. My own mother left and I couldn’t bring her back. How can I do that for you?”
“Because I’m not the others in your life,” he said firmly, closing the distance between them again. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders. “You saved me once before, and you didn’t even know you did it. You can save me now.”
“How?” she wept, the single word containing more pain than the man thought possible. His heart constricted and he drew her back into his arms. She buried her face against his chest. “How?” she repeated as she sobbed against his shirt.
“By surviving,” he whispered in her ear. “Make it through the day and then get up and do it again. Keep going, no matter how hard it is. As long as you are somewhere, as long as you are going through your life, I will survive too. You are my life line, the one thing anchoring me to existence. As long as you don’t give up, I still have hope. I still have a chance. Can you do that for me? Can you survive?”
The woman nodded. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I can ask,” he whispered. “I promised I will come back to you.”
“If you can’t, can I come to you?” she asked in a small voice.
The man shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said slowly. “I don’t think you’d like it here. It’s not exactly pleasant. As much I was want to...no need to be with you, I can’t put you through this with me.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
“Don’t worry. I will come back. I promise.” His voice was filled with confidence, but the woman shook her head, her grip on his waist tightening.
“That’s what you said before all of this happened,” she spat, her tears falling anew. “You’ve been gone for years.”
“Do you think that’s my choice?” he demanded. “You have no idea how much I miss you. I dream about you every night, about talking to you, about touching you, holding you, hearing your voice, feeling your lips on me. I want so much to be with you. But I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” he moaned helplessly. “I don’t know and I wish to god I did, because then I would know how to get back to you. But I don’t. I’m doing everything I can. Please. Please, believe me.”
The woman sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you’d be here if you could. I just miss you so much.”
“It’s all right. Trust me, I know how hard this had been. But I’m begging you, please don’t give up on us. I don’t know what I’ll do if you give up.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
The man suddenly stiffened.
“What’s wrong she asked.”
“I have to go,” he murmured, almost inaudibly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could stay. I promise, I’ll find a way back to you eventually. Just don’t stop hoping. I need you to keep believing in me. If I can do that, I’ll be back.”
She shook her head. “No. No. You can’t leave me again. Stay, please. Just stay.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry” Anguish twisted his face as he broke free of her grasp and began walking away.
“Wait!” she yelled. “Please! Don’t go! I need you! I love you! OLIVER!”
He didn’t stop and he didn’t look back.
***
Chloe Sullivan woke up, covered in cold sweat. Her chest was heaving as she panted for breath. Tears were falling down her cheeks, thick and fast. Curling onto her side, Chloe clutched her knees to her chest and sobbed.
Author's Note: So I know this is short, but it's just a taste of what's to come. Let me know what you think and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. But let it be known, I will hold the next chapter hostage if I nobody comments :P
Chapter 1
Rating: PG-13 for the most part, however there are sections that are NC-17 (my first attempt, for the record) for sexual content. This fic contains violence and language. Chapters containing sexual content will be preceded by a warning.
Spoilers: The entire series, basically. The basic setting is season six with a twist, but anything is fair game if it works for this fic.
Warning: Again, this is AU and is a continuation of my fic Twist of Fate, which you really need to read first or this isn't going to make any sense. There will sexual content and violence.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I'm just playing around with them.
Banner by geek_or_unique
Author's Note: Thank you to the wonderful geek_or_uniqure for the banner. It's absolutely amazing. I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews on Twist of Fate and especially on the last chapter. It's really inspiring and uplifting. Thank you so much for sticking with me.
Prologue
Warm arms encircled her waist and pulled her back until her back was tight against a hard chest. She tensed just slightly in surprise then relaxed, her hand automatically falling to rest against the much larger hands that were clasped over her stomach. She tilted her head to the side to give access to the crook of her neck. Warm breath graced her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hello,” a low, warm male voice answered. The hair on her arms rose.
Tears pricked at her eyes. “I miss you.”
The man drew back, his lips no longer brushing against her shoulder, and tightened his arms around, drawing her more firmly against him. “I know. I’m sorry. I miss you too.”
“When are you coming back?” she asked. “Are you ever coming back?”
“I...I don’t know,” the man sighed. “I think I’m lost. I don’t know where I am or how to get back to you. I think...I think you have to find me. You’re the only who can.”
“I don’t know how. I don’t even know where to look,” she said, sounding panicked.
“Look in here.” His hand rose to rest against her heart. “I’m always in here. Let it guide you.”
The woman bit back a sob. “I don’t know if I can. It’s been so long. I want you so badly. I want you to be here for everything. So much has happened since you left and I can’t even tell you about it. I don’t know if I can find you.”
“Yes, you can,” he whispered. “I know we’re not together physically, but I’ll always be here for you. Tell me whatever you want. I’ll listen.”
“It’s not the same,” she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.
“It’s the best we have,” he whispered, pulling her tight. “And if anyone can find me, it’s you. You are the only one who knows me well enough to find me, no matter where I am.”
She pulled away, walking a few steps away. “You can’t know that. You can’t depend on me like that. I’ve lost so many people and none of them came back for me. My own mother left and I couldn’t bring her back. How can I do that for you?”
“Because I’m not the others in your life,” he said firmly, closing the distance between them again. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders. “You saved me once before, and you didn’t even know you did it. You can save me now.”
“How?” she wept, the single word containing more pain than the man thought possible. His heart constricted and he drew her back into his arms. She buried her face against his chest. “How?” she repeated as she sobbed against his shirt.
“By surviving,” he whispered in her ear. “Make it through the day and then get up and do it again. Keep going, no matter how hard it is. As long as you are somewhere, as long as you are going through your life, I will survive too. You are my life line, the one thing anchoring me to existence. As long as you don’t give up, I still have hope. I still have a chance. Can you do that for me? Can you survive?”
The woman nodded. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I can ask,” he whispered. “I promised I will come back to you.”
“If you can’t, can I come to you?” she asked in a small voice.
The man shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said slowly. “I don’t think you’d like it here. It’s not exactly pleasant. As much I was want to...no need to be with you, I can’t put you through this with me.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
“Don’t worry. I will come back. I promise.” His voice was filled with confidence, but the woman shook her head, her grip on his waist tightening.
“That’s what you said before all of this happened,” she spat, her tears falling anew. “You’ve been gone for years.”
“Do you think that’s my choice?” he demanded. “You have no idea how much I miss you. I dream about you every night, about talking to you, about touching you, holding you, hearing your voice, feeling your lips on me. I want so much to be with you. But I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” he moaned helplessly. “I don’t know and I wish to god I did, because then I would know how to get back to you. But I don’t. I’m doing everything I can. Please. Please, believe me.”
The woman sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you’d be here if you could. I just miss you so much.”
“It’s all right. Trust me, I know how hard this had been. But I’m begging you, please don’t give up on us. I don’t know what I’ll do if you give up.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
The man suddenly stiffened.
“What’s wrong she asked.”
“I have to go,” he murmured, almost inaudibly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could stay. I promise, I’ll find a way back to you eventually. Just don’t stop hoping. I need you to keep believing in me. If I can do that, I’ll be back.”
She shook her head. “No. No. You can’t leave me again. Stay, please. Just stay.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry” Anguish twisted his face as he broke free of her grasp and began walking away.
“Wait!” she yelled. “Please! Don’t go! I need you! I love you! OLIVER!”
He didn’t stop and he didn’t look back.
***
Chloe Sullivan woke up, covered in cold sweat. Her chest was heaving as she panted for breath. Tears were falling down her cheeks, thick and fast. Curling onto her side, Chloe clutched her knees to her chest and sobbed.
Author's Note: So I know this is short, but it's just a taste of what's to come. Let me know what you think and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. But let it be known, I will hold the next chapter hostage if I nobody comments :P
Chapter 1