Fanfic: In Our Hands - Chlollie

[slytherinpunk]

Title: In Our Hands
Authors: slytherinpunk  and sxymami0909
Rating: M for Mature (eventually NC-17)
Summary: “The palms’ don’t lie, Oliver.” Zatanna acclaimed as he snatched his hand away from her grip, “You have a son."
Spoilers: Canon til Season 10 episode 3... And goes AU from there (Oliver never revealed himself as Green Arrow, and Tess never ran Watchtower) runs with the timeline of the five years of Superman Returns.
Pairings: Chlollie
Status: 12/27
Previous Chapters: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven
Disclaimer: We do not own Smallville, nor do we claim to own any other characters therefore owned by DC Comics or CW network.
Fic Banner by: dhfreak
Chapter Banners by: sanaazzy
Special Thanks to: dhfreak  and sanaazzy  for contributing their art skills to this story.
Dedicated to: The wonderful sanaazzy  who fell in love with this fic when I shared the first few chapters, and for never letting me give up on this story, even after brainstorming and failing for a year. Thank you so much for everything. ♥




Chapter Twelve

Oliver stood off to the side of the outlined field, Connor between him and Chloe as the coach, a tall man with light brown hair, placed cones around the field and off to the side of the goal posts. Glancing around, Oliver counted twenty or more children, all boys, and all round Connor’s age and height. His eyes wandered to the parents, moving to sit down in the small stands a few feet behind them. His gaze returned down to Connor who had finished putting on his cleats and discarded his hoodie to Chloe, just in time as the coach blew his whistle, signaling for the kids to get on the field.

Connor dashed quickly, running along side Nicklaus to the middle of the field where the coach started passing out two different colored, sleeveless practice jerseys, one yellow and one red, as he called off each individual boy.

Oliver glimpsed at Chloe, noticing the empty space between them with Connor out on the field now and he inched a little closer, “So how does this work? Drills, exercise, or a mini-game?”

Chloe kept her eyes on the field as she pointed towards the kids, voice soft in an attempt to explain how the practices usually went, "Normally he starts off the practice with a few different drills and depending on the day new moves and plays, but he won't do that today since there's a game tomorrow. Today they'll go over what they learned this week, do some drills and then have a small scrimmage. That's why they have the different colored jersey's."

Oliver nodded, following along easily enough, “I think at that book fair I’m going to buy every book they have on soccer... Or.... Football,” he chuckled.

Chloe stood there, several feet separating her from Oliver as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She watched as his gaze followed every move Connor made on the field, taking in everything with avid interest.

She swallowed hard while folding Connor's sweater over her arm, "I'm sure if you expressed an interest in learning more about it, he'd be happy to teach you. He's like a walking dictionary for all things soccer... It's sort of scary..." She laughed lightly as the couch once again blew his whistle signalling a switch in drills.

“I’m glad he seems to take after you in those aspects,” Oliver grinned as his eyes drifted back toward the center field, where the coach was directing the kids on what positions they would play. Some of the boys were ruffing around a bit, not paying full attention. But Connor was standing up straight, keeping eye contact with the coach, and not goofing off.

“I love that he’s so interested and dedicated at such a young age.” Turning, Oliver smiled at Chloe, “And he’s so well mannered and respectful... Whats your secret?”

Chloe shrugged, "Truthfully... I honestly have no idea." She grinned and eyed Oliver, "I was fully expecting him to be a handful, always getting into trouble and driving me bonkers just like his Father did... But I don't know. It's almost like he knew I needed him to go easy on me."

She looked back at the field and took a deep breath as she continued speaking, "When he was first born... I was terrified." Chloe kept to herself how she'd cried for Oliver for three weeks straight before moving on to being angry at him for moving on and forgetting her so quickly.

She shook away her thoughts and cleared her throat, "He was so small and I thought I was gonna break him. I had no clue what to do with a baby... Give me complicated firewalls and algorithms any day, but a baby..." She trailed off and shrugged, "The first few months were hard, but after that everything seemed to just work itself out. I read a lot of books..."

Chloe laughed again lightly, "And Connor and I... We're very close. He's always been well-behaved... And extremely protective of me. Even when he was little he didn't like to share me."

A warm smile spread on Chloe's lips as she face Oliver, "When he was younger and his friends came to the house, he'd get angry if they hugged me and even now he's still very protective of me and people he cares about... A trait that he very much gets from you."

Oliver gulped as he stared at Chloe, unsure how to take her compliment and he glanced back at their son, who was covering and blocking his opponent. “I’m not sure thats all from me... Watchtower had her own way of being over-protective...” He smirked as glimpsed out of the corner of his eye, “Like throwing a three-ton truck your way to save you from yourself...”

Chloe shrugged, "If I hadn't of done it someone else on the team would have... You're important to the team... A leader, they need you. It was only a matter of time until someone slapped some sense into you. I just happened to get there first."

Shifting, she gripped Oliver's arm lightly as she stood on her toes, grin covering her flushed face, voice full of pride while her eyes followed Connor as he veered to the side and landed a hard kick sailing the ball straight into the goal net. "Did you see him? Is he not the cutest kid out there? He just doges people like they aren't even there, his reflexes astound me and I watch him all the time. He's so precise... It's like.... Artwork," she shook her head lightly.

"You'll see what I mean at the game tomorrow..." She lowered her voice slightly and leaned towards him, her eyes still on Connor, "Our kid is... For lack of a better word, badass, and it's so wrong on so many levels that I enjoy him powering through other children to score goals... I mean, really... What kind of role model enjoys that?" She glanced at him finally noticing how close she'd gotten to him in her excitement. Biting her lip, she shifted back slightly, her hands releasing his arm slowly.

Oliver didn’t notice her pulling away, his eyes were glued to their son as his teammates slapped him on the back and ruffled his hair in excitement before resuming their practice game.

“I think its impossible to not enjoy it,” he turned back to her, pride gleaming in his eyes. “I never knew it would be like this...” He caught sight of Connor stealing the ball from another player, and he looked back at the field as their son made a pass to another teammate, “Its fulfilling.”

She nodded, "It is.. You know before Connor, I used to think there wasn't a better feeling in the world then getting a mission completed... Kids were never in my plan, but Connor... He's this perfect little mix of..."

Chloe paused, her voice softening as she looked away from Oliver, "It's like all of our good qualities were rolled into this tiny package and... He's just so completely perfect. I know that probably sounds stupid..." She shrugged wrapping her arms around herself, rubbing slightly to keep out the cool breeze and the sudden icy chill that seemed to creep up her spine.

Oliver shook his head, “No... He definitely is perfect.” A corner of his mouth twitched as he watched Connor kick the ball down the field, another successful pass to one of his teammates, “Although... I think as he gets older we’ll find that he inherited my confidence...” He chuckled slightly, “I can already tell he’ll be as cocky as I was.”

He turned to her with a smirk before noticing the way she rubbed her hands on her arms for friction and he took off his leather jacket and slung it over her shoulders before she could protest.

Chloe snorted, "I'm sorry did you say was?" Her eyes flickered over to him amusement written clearly on her face, "Were you implying that you are no longer cocky?" She arched an eyebrow, but didn't wait for his answer before she started talking again as she waved him off, "Besides I've already started nipping that in the bud. He still has his 'I'm Connor' moments where he looks at me and gives me that look you used to give me. You know the one where every time I denied you something you wanted, you were baffled by how I could say no to Oliver Queen... Yeah our son does that."

Her head turned back in Connor's direction, "Confidence, assertiveness--good qualities... Cockiness not so much. Though he already charms his female teachers..." She shook her head, "They all love him... But how could you not?" She watched as Connor scored another goal and she let out a content sigh while shifting on her feet.

Oliver shook his head in amusement, “Wait till he shows interest in girls...” He raised his eyebrow at her, “You thought I was cocky then? Imagine my confidence and looks combined with yours..” A laugh bellowed from him, “You’ll be beating girls off your porch.”

She gave him half a smile and her stomach sank as she took note of his words, 'You'll be beating the girls off your porch,' implying he'd no longer be there.

Chloe's heart clenched at the realization that she didn't want to beat the girls away alone and she didn't want to be the only woman at soccer games who didn't have a proud Father on the sidelines watching his son. She wanted Oliver to be a part of Connor's life... Not just for now, but forever.

She sucked in a heavy breath, her emotions suddenly overwhelming her as she took a step back. Her voice was slightly shaky when she spoke as she pointed to the bleachers, "I'm... I'm just gonna go sit down."

Oliver nodded, “Sounds good, I’ll follow you.” He walked behind her closely, glancing over his shoulder from time to time, making sure he didn’t miss anything going on while the kids ran back and forth down the field.

She made her way over by the bleachers where some of the other parents sat and took a seat towards the less crowded end as she once again focused her eyes on Connor while Oliver sat next to her and did the same. Chloe tried to keep her focus on the practice, but she couldn't help notice his proximity and the way she could feel the heat of his body next to hers and through his jacket.

Chloe licked her suddenly dry lips as she spoke conversationally, "So I was wondering if you knew how long you planned on staying yet? I'm not trying to rush you make you feel unwelcome... I'm just curious. I mean, what about Queen Industries, and the League? Do they... Do they know where you are?"

Oliver sighed, “Queen Industries... Not so much. But I’m conducting meetings through my laptop for the time being.” He shrugged his shoulders as his eyes followed Connor, “And the league knows. Well--Not the East base...” He glanced at her, holding her gaze, “I figured you didn’t want Clark to know just yet... But Vic, and Hal know.”

She pursed her lips and nodded, "I appreciate that... You didn't really answer my question though, how long are you staying for, or rather how long can you stay for? Because eventually we're going to have to tell him why you're really here..." Her voice trailed off as the coach blew the whistle again signaling some kind of break as the kids lined up and he started talking to them and gesturing around the field.

Oliver nodded, “Yeah, I know. But like I said, I’d like for him to get to know me before we tell him...” His gaze shifted back to the field, “I think it’ll be easier for him to understand our relationship better after he gets to know me without any pressure.” He cocked a brow as he saw the boys all lined up, “What are they doing now?”

Chloe sighed at still not getting a clear answer from Oliver. She wished he'd just tell her when he was leaving already so she could at least mentally prepare for him taking off and leaving. Somehow living without him for the past six years had been easier when he didn't know about them. Now that he did... Once he left, essentially it was him leaving them and that wasn't something she was sure she or Connor could handle.

She shrugged, "I don't know. It looks like he's lecturing them. I think some of the kids ran the last play wrong, so if I had to make an educated guess he's probably reprimanding them for not paying attention to a play he spent four days teaching them."

“Ah,” he shifted slightly. He bet he was the only parent here who didn’t know what was going on. And it only made it worse when he thought about how many games he had missed. He turned his neck and glanced around at all the parents sitting on the bleachers, noticing quite a number of father’s present, and he was willing to bet they had all helped their son kick the ball around at home, encouraging them to practice.

He glimpsed back at Chloe, “As much as I’m sure he’s a natural, I can picture him kicking that ball outside for hours just to make sure he practiced enough.” Oliver gave her a small smile, “If you had stayed...” He paused, his throat shaking with the mere thought of his next words, “I wonder if he’d be just as passionate about soccer, or if he would have chosen something else...”

His eyes centered on the field again as Connor kicked the ball for another far shot, “He’s a talented player for a six year old... As much as the circumstances hurt, I’m glad he found something to enjoy.” Oliver turned back to her, his eyes softening, “Does that make sense?”

She winced at his words, but kept her eyes on Connor following his fluid movements on the field as they started to run the play again. She was pretty sure if she had stayed Connor wouldn't like Oliver much for abandoning their family to make a cozy little love nest with Dinah. She might feel guilty for depriving Oliver of the last six years, but knowing how things would have turned out, she was glad she had left.

At least now Connor had an honest chance to know Oliver for the decent person he was and not the person Connor would have thought him to be for leaving them for someone else.

Her tone was clipped, but not mean when she spoke, "Yes, it makes sense."

Oliver flinched at her words. He had previously wondered if she ever regretted leaving, but he currently sensed that wasn’t the case for her. Swallowing, he kept his eyes on the field and advanced to changing the subject, “What time does practice end?”

Connor caught sight of Chloe and grinned her way and her face immediately brightened as she waved and smiled back, "Practice ends at seven thirty. And then the coach usually talks for a bit... We usually get out of here around seven forty-five."

Chloe glanced away from the field and at Oliver momentarily, "The video store isn't far from here we can grab the movies and then head home... If that's okay with you."

Oliver nodded, “Sounds good.” He reached over to her, digging his hands in one of the pockets of his jacket before pulling out her car keys for a moment, “Your keys are in the right pocket of my jacket, would you mind if you drove to the store after practice?”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Sure... Doesn't matter to me." She turned her eyes back towards the field and watched as Connor ran through the last set of drills with the other kids. She watched as he pushed himself hard, giving him a slight advantage over the children. He finished first in most drills and when the whistle blew for the last time, the coach had them grab their waters bottles while he spoke to them for another five minutes before dismissing them to their parents.

The coach walked with Connor towards Chloe and waved with a smile on his face. Chloe stood and returned his smile as Connor jogged ahead slightly, his coach's voice slightly loud to be heard over the other parents and their children. "Guten Abend Miss Hawke, Wie geht es Ihnen ( Good evening Miss Hawke, How are you )?”

She watched Connor riffle through his bag before she glanced back at his coach, "Ich bin gut und tun Sie ( I'm doing well and you)?”

He nodded taking note of the man who was standing beside Connor. "Connor hat große Nacht, aber ich bin sicher, dass Sie sich nicht wundern ( Connor did great tonight, but I'm sure you're not surprised ).” He grinned and Chloe chuckled lightly. When Oliver looked in his direction he smiled, switching off to English and sticking out his hand, "Hello, I'm Coach Hartmann."

Taking and shaking his hand, Oliver nodded, “I’m Oliver.”

Coach Hartmann smiled and released his hand just as Connor came to stand with them, his bag thrown over his shoulder. The coach’s eyes dropped to Connor, and then traveled back to Oliver with a raised eyebrow, “You must be...”

"A friend of the family..." Chloe cut in and Coach Hartmann glanced at her, pursing his lips before his eyes shifted to Oliver briefly and then back. "Ah... Well it's nice to meet you."

“Likewise,” Oliver replied stiffly, noticing the revelation in Coach Hartmann’s eyes when he had glanced between them.

“I assume you’re in town to see Connor play at the game tomorrow?” The coach glimpsed between them again.

Connor shook his head, “No, Oliver came to see my mom a few days ago, we didn’t meet till then.”

Oliver cleared his throat, “But I’m staying for a little while, so I’ll definitely catch the game tomorrow,” he interrupted.

Chloe gave the coach a tight smile as she rubbed a hand on Connor's back, "How'd he do today? Anything we should go over for tomorrow's big game? Was that a new move I saw you showing the boys? Or an alteration of a previously taught one?"

“Over all, Connor’s done well over exceptional,” the coach explained as he placed his arms behind his back. “However, I’d really like Connor to work on this new kick.” He turned his focus to Oliver, “I know this is a children’s league, but most children think of only moving their legs when the go to kick. We like to teach them now to know when to use their hips so that they’ll improve their game over the years.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed, “His hips? He’s not even seven.”

“Three months till I’m seven,” Connor corrected.

“Right, but its not a difficult move. I’d like Connor to work on it the next couple of weeks. He’s a bit faster with his reflexes than the other kids, I nearly had half a mind to place him as the goalie,” coach Hartmann smiled down at Connor again. “But I know that’s not where he desires to be out on the field.”

Connor grinned, clearly in agreement, “Thanks coach.”

Chloe chuckled as she smiled at the coach and nodded, "And Connor appreciates that. Don't worry, we'll make sure he gets plenty of practice over the next few weeks. Thanks again Coach Hartmann. We'll see you tomorrow for the game."

He nodded in there direction before waving and moving over to one of the other parents who were waiting to speak with him. Chloe took Connor's bag from him and nudged him in the direction of the car as she pulled the keys out of Oliver's coat that she was still wearing, "So kid... You ready to head to the video store?"

Oliver followed behind them as she pulled open the passenger side door and tossed Connor's bag in. Oliver watched their son climb in on the other side as Chloe moved to the drivers side, pulling open the door and rearranging the seat so she could drive.

“Yeah, did you and Oliver think about what movies you might want to rent?” Connor asked as he strapped his seatbelt across his chest.

Oliver climbed into the passenger in front, clicking his seatbelt in place, “We were too busy watching how hard you worked at practice.” He turned and glanced into the backseat, smiling at Connor as Chloe climbed into the drivers seat and shut the door, “Your team must have won a lot of games.”

Connor shrugged, “We don’t always win, and Mom says thats okay... But I was really sad when we lost in the championship last year.”

Oliver cocked a brow, “Championship? You were, what five?”

Frowning, Connor gave Oliver a disbelieving look, “For half of the year, then I turned six...”

“That’s quite an accomplishment, just to make it that far.” Oliver smiled again, “I would have loved to have seen you play.”

Their son’s brows furrowed, “You still could, Mom video tapes all my games.”

Chloe nodded, glancing briefly at Oliver before pulling the car out onto the road and hesitated before speaking, voice soft, "If you want... We could watch those. I like to keep track of everything..." She shrugged as she turned right, "Plus I wanted to have it on tape in case... Connor ever wanted to see himself play."

The truth was she be recording every step of Connor's life in some way since he was born in case Oliver came back into their lives. She never thought he actually would, but it had made her feel better at the time to do it.

Oliver’s voice caught in his throat, “C-Can we? I--I mean...” He swallowed hard and took a deep breath as he glanced into the backseat, “Would you want to?”

Connor tried to sit up straighter, more excited than before, “Mom, can we? We can rent Robin Hood another night.” He smiled at Oliver, “This way you can follow the game easier tomorrow, oh! And I can show you the goal I scored!”

Chloe nodded, "Sure, we can definitely do that." She took another turn at the next street and headed home instead of the video store. Less than ten minutes later she was parking the car and unbuckling her seatbelt, watching as an excited Connor did the same. He grabbed his bag and pushed the car door open before running toward the front door. Chloe chuckled lightly at their son's enthusiasm as she followed Connor with Oliver in tow.

Looking over his shoulder, Connor grinned at Oliver and his mom, “We should start with my first few games that way you can see how I’ve improved!” He paused for a moment, “Is that okay Mom? Think I can stay up a little later tonight?”

Chloe unlocked the door and let Connor open it as she gave him a warm smile and they followed him inside. He tossed his bag by the door and Chloe scrunched her nose as Oliver shut and locked the door behind them. Her voice was light when she spoke, "I'll tell you what; if you put your stuff away, get your PJ's out and get ready for a quick bath, I'll let you stay up an extra hour later... How's that for a compromise? I don't want you to stay up too late because you've got your game mid-morning and I know you want to be well rested."

Connor nodded with a slight shrug, “Sounds fair.” He tossed his bag over his shoulders and headed up stairs, but froze at the top and turned back to look downstairs, “Since we didn’t stop for snacks can we have some of the leftover pie?”

She laughed, "When have I ever said no to pie? And I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for some popcorn." She tilted her head to the side and nodded toward the kitchen, "I'll get everything together while you get ready for your bath."

“Okay,” Connor hollered as he rushed to his room.

Once Connor’s bedroom door clicked shut, Oliver turned to Chloe, a small smile resting on his lips, “Thank you... You didn’t have to suggest it, and I know you did it for me.”

Chloe glanced down and shrugged, realizing she was still wearing Oliver's jacket. She pulled it off gently and handed it to him, voice soft, "Thanks again, for the jacket... And it's not a big deal, I saw you watching him earlier... Thought you might want to see them."

She headed towards the kitchen as she continued to speak over her shoulder, "Like I said before, I made sure to get everything on tape... Or photos or something... Just you know, to have." She bit her lip as she searched through the cabinets for some popcorn.

She didn't want to tell him she'd done it for him. That every time she took a photo, or recorded a game, play or event, it was because she'd thought about him wanting to see those moments... Or about them being a family someday. Silly thoughts that were obviously childish because Oliver wasn't a part of their family. He had his own family... The team, Dinah, and when Chloe walked away she lost those things. Now all she had was Connor...

Oliver took his jacket, and followed her into the kitchen, draping it over the back of one of the chairs at the table, “It is a big deal... When I came here I originally thought you wanted nothing to do with me--That you didn’t want me to get to know him.”

He paused, studying her for a moment, “But you’re letting me get to know him with little resistance, so I’m starting to think I was wrong.”

She pulled a bag of popcorn out of the cabinet and turned to face him a frown marring her face. She opened her mouth paused and pursed her lips as she leaned against the counter studying him. She chose her words carefully, tone light, "Well not to be rude, but that's because you are wrong. I mean I guess I understand your reasoning, but that's not the case... That's never been the case."

Chloe swallowed hard and turned back towards the counter popping the popcorn bag into the microwave. She had never questioned Oliver's ability to be a good father... She didn't realize that when she left and he found out about Connor that, that's where his mind would immediately go. Chloe bit her lip lightly. Maybe it was time she threw him a bone... Something that showed she hadn't wanted to cut him out completely.

She spoke, voice barely above a whisper, "I have something for you... I mean if you want it. Since Connor was born I've kept copies of everything. There are report cards... School projects, videos of plays, not many of course, he’s still young..."

Chloe licked her lips to moisten them before continuing, the hum of the microwave the only sound between them aside from her voice, "Just because you weren't here... Doesn't mean you have to miss out... First word... First steps. I managed to get most of it on tape..." Her voice trailed off as the microwave beeped and she pulled out a bowl to put the popcorn in not turning to face him in fear of his reactions to her words.

He kept his eyes on her as he considered her words. He thought they had been making progress, but it felt like every time something was going good between them, she ruined it with some sort of backhanded comment and he wanted to choose his words carefully before replying.

“I want everything... Naturally.” Oliver held her gaze, “But I think it’d be better if I watched them on my own. Connor would ask too many questions and frankly, it might look silly for me to cry while watching them.” He inhaled, trying to relax, “Thank you for offering me the copies.”

She nodded and looked away from him her heart clenching at his words, "I didn't mean for you to watch them with him... That's something even I wouldn’t be able to lie my way out of and to be honest I don't like lying to Connor. So... I'll get everything together for you sometime this weekend... If your looking for privacy you can watch it while we aren't here," she sighed lightly as she pulled open the fridge and grabbed the pie. She walked towards the table, put it down and moved back towards the cabinet to grab three plates.

"You don't need to thank me Oliver, you're his Father...Your have every right to see them." She grabbed a knife on the way back to the table and started to cut the pie, "Did you want a piece?"

Oliver shook his head, “No thanks. I’m still full from dinner.”

Chloe nodded and hesitated in her movements as she looked up at him, "Would you mind going up and checking on Connor?--He's quiet which isn't too unusal, but still... I worry. I'm not sure if he'll let you help him take a bath, but you could try and if he won't let you just call me... Is that alright? Do you mind?" She knew Oliver wanted to get to know Connor and she was trying to slowly incorporate him into their son's life without making it too weird for Connor. But she didn't want to push Oliver to take on too much at once... She was afraid it might scare him enough the he runs off back home.

“I don’t mind, not sure how loud he’ll be when he opposes to it, though.” He started to walk out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs when he paused, “Call me if you need anything.” Dodging into the hallway, he climbed the twenty floors to the top of the stairwell, and walked to the bathroom door, tapping on it gently.

“Yeah?” Connor hollered through the door.

“Um... Your Mom asked me to check on you,” Oliver replied nervously.

“Why?” Oliver couldn’t see through the door, but he could easily picture Connor raising an eyebrow as he asked the question.

“Well,” Oliver licked his lips anxiously. “She’s a Mom, they worry... I don’t have to come in, but you could talk to me through the door.” He heard a slight splashing of water followed by an ‘okay’ and Oliver rested his back against the wall beside the door, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor.

“Are you sore from your practice?”

“No,” Connor’s response echoed off the tile in the bathroom. “But thats because Coach makes us stretch before practice.”

“That’s very important. How long has he been your coach?” Oliver asked curiously.

“Since I was five. He also coaches football for all the grades at my school.”

Oliver nodded, despite knowing Connor couldn’t see him, “And you like your school?”

“Yeah...” Connor’s reply was quieter, “My friends are there, and coach is there...”

Oliver could tell by his voice that Connor seemed hesitant, it was the same way Chloe’s voice trailed off and her tone got lower when she was unsure, “What’s wrong? You don’t sound convincing.”

“Germany’s out of Green Arrow’s territory... So theres a slim chance we’ll ever actually meet.”

Pursing his lips, Oliver tried to figure out the best way to handle the situation.

“Do you think he knows?” Connor asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Huh? Do I think he knows what?” Oliver’s brows furrowed in confusion. Connor gave no reply and Oliver leaned closer to the door, “Do I think he knows what, Con?”

He was greeted by silence again and Oliver felt his heart skip at least two beats, “Connor? Connor, I’m coming in.”

Standing up from the floor, Oliver grasped the door knob, shoving the door open and flinging himself inside in a panic. He froze when he saw their son sitting in a tub half-full of water, his legs drawn up with his arms around them as he rested his head on his knees.

“You okay sport? You freaked me out when you didn’t answer...”

Connor kept his gaze at the corner of the tub, “Yeah... I just wonder if he knows that Mommy and I left.”

Oliver swallowed, never quite hearing a child sound so vulnerable before and he found himself reaching for the counter, and gripping it tightly, “I’m sure he didn’t know about you, Con... I can’t imagine him not wanting to see you.”

“But why then? Why isn’t he here?” Connor’s bottom effectively stuck out in a pout.

Sighing, Oliver moved to sit onto the counter top of the vanity, “Your Mom’s always been brave Connor... And maybe, she had to leave to protect you... Green Arrow has a lot of enemies. And they would have come after you and your Mom to get to him.”

Connor shifted his gaze, glancing at Oliver for the first time since he entered the bathroom, “Do you think he would have been at my football games if he had known about me?”

Oliver felt the salt of his welling tears sting his eyes, “Yeah... Yeah I’m sure he would have been sitting right next to your Mom, cheering you on.”

Connor nodded, accepting Oliver’s words fairly easy, “I’m going to make sure one day, he sees me play.”

Oliver felt as though his heart had turned to lead, and he wanted nothing more than to tell Connor right then, that he had always been wanted and loved, even if Oliver hadn’t known about him till now. But he was still a stranger to Connor, and there were still a few things Oliver couldn’t explain to him. He couldn’t give him answers to all of the questions he no doubt had.

Frowning, Connor glimpsed back at Oliver, “You don’t think he has other kids, do you?”

Oliver blinked, not understanding clearly, “What?”

“That picture of him and Black Canary... You don’t think they have a family do you?” Connor’s eyes drifted back to the water as he avoided Oliver’s gaze.

“No... I doubt, even with Canary, any guy could forget your mom long enough to start a family,” Oliver gave him a small smile.

Connor’s face flushed with hope, “So, you think he still loves her?”

Oliver pursed his lips as his heart clenched with Connor’s question. He inhaled sharply and forced another small smile, “I think your dad still loves your mom, yes.”

Connor nodded, “Okay then... He just needs to come back to us,” he decided with determination before he glanced at Oliver again, “Can you hand me my towel?”

Standing from the counter, Oliver reached for the dark cinnamon colored towel and handed it to Connor before looking away, “I’m going to go downstairs and wait with your mom.”

Connor nodded and watched as Oliver moved out of the bathroom and made his way downstairs. Chloe heard footsteps and poked her head out of the living room where she'd set up the movies, food and drinks.

She watched as Oliver walked down the stairs in a slight daze and she frowned as she moved towards him, concern in her voice, "Ollie... What's wrong? Is Connor okay?"

Oliver drew in a delicate breath as he stepped of the last stair and stared down at Chloe, “Yeah, yeah he’s fine.” His gaze dropped to the floor, “Chloe... Does he ever ask about m--I mean... Does he ever ask about his father?”

Chloe froze for a second, not expecting that question, but knowing he must be asking for a reason. She reached out cautiously her hands grazing his arm causing him to look up as she pulled him gently away from the stairs.

She licked her lips before speaking quietly, a hint of uncertainty in her voice, "He's asked about you a couple of times... And I've told him the truth..." She looked down, swallowing hard, voice even lower than before as she spoke, "That his Father and I were in love and even though you love someone more than anything in the world, sometimes things just don't work."

Tears formed in her eyes, but she didn't look up as she continued talking, "And when he asked why you weren't here... I told him... You were a hero... And if you could be here with us then there's nowhere else in the world you would have been... But to remember no matter how far away you were, there wasn't anyone who loved him more..."

Oliver felt fresh tears brisk the corner of his eyes as he tried to swallow a sob before it could escape him. Whatever her reasons for leaving, Chloe didn’t need to answer Connor’s questions. She could have been dishonest and just told Connor that his father had passed away in an accident or something, but she didn’t.

Without thinking, he pulled Chloe into his arms, dropping his head to her shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered against her, lingering slightly as he kept her in his embrace.

Chloe tensed at the feel of his arms around her, but when he didn't let go she relaxed into the embrace, arms winding around his neck as her eyes slid shut, a few tears leaking from them. After six years, being in his arms again made a dozen different emotions swirl through... But if she had to pick one word to describe the feeling of having his strong arms holding her again... It would be home.

She felt so familiar to him--Six years had passed, and her body somehow still felt the same to him as her tiny form remained in his arms. He remembered nights like this so easily, as if the memory was fresh and had occurred just yesterday where they were seeking shelter in the security of each other. But he knew better than to think things were still the same between them.

He knew better than to even hope for as much.

“Why are you hugging?” Connor’s voice came from behind them and Oliver jumped apart from Chloe as if he had just had water splashed on him.

“We’re friends!” Oliver said a little abruptly before clearing his throat, “And friends... Hug.”

Connor glanced at his mother skeptically, “Nick and I don’t hug...”

Chloe bit her lip and gave Connor a small smile, "Well, why not? Are you too manly to hug? Cause you know I've heard hugs can heal anything..." She grinned before moving over to him and tickling him lightly causing him to laugh and attempt to push her away playfully. But she got a hold of him and grabbed him in a big bear hug.

Connor chuckled and rolled his eyes as he hugged Chloe back, "You're so silly Mom."

She let him go and smirked, "But don't you feel so much better now with one of my special hugs? Didn't you know I give the best ones? I call it the healing touch. It's because I'm awesome."

She glanced at their son out of the corner of her eye and he was shaking his head, but grinning. "Yeah, yeah... You’re okay."

Chloe gasped, put a hand over her heart, and pouted, "Now that hurts... Are you trying to tell me there's a better Mom than me out there? Because I'd like to meet her." Oliver watched them banter back and forth and he smiled.

Connor held up a hand to keep her from tickling him again, "That depends... Did you cut me a piece of pie?"

Chloe gave him a thoughtful look, "Hmm, it's possible..."

His smile widened, "Then you're totally the best Mom ever!"

She grinned, "That's my favorite guy."

“Did you grab the discs with my games on them?” Connor glanced at the clock briefly, “We’re not going to have time to get through them all but you promised I could stay up a little bit later.”

Chloe nodded, "I know and of course I did. What do you think I was doing this whole time while you were swimming the night away in the tub?" She chuckled and nodded in the direction of the living room.

Connor ran ahead and she and Oliver followed behind him as he grabbed the remote and jumped onto the couch moving to sit in the middle of the cushion, directly in front of the TV. Chloe pointed to the pie on the small table in front of him, "We've got pie, popcorn, milk for you and water for us. Just push play I have it set up to your first game."

Oliver moved to sit to the left of Connor, just as his small hand was reaching for his plate of pie from the table. He arched a small brow above his eye as he looked at Oliver, “No snacks?”

Shaking his head, Oliver took his seat, “No, just water. I’m still full from dinner.”

Connor shrugged and pushed play before handing the remote to his mom, and he turned back to Oliver, “You can’t laugh if I fall. It rained during some games and there was mud everywhere.”

Oliver smiled, “You have my word, I won’t laugh.”

“Okay,” Connor nodded, and Oliver glimpsed over his head at Chloe affectionately, with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

She gave him a warm smile and shook her head good naturedley as she sat on the other side of their son. Connor definitely got being self-conscious from her. Whenever she had done something with Oliver that had the potential of being embarrassing she always used to say 'you can't laugh at me...' And his agreement to her stipulation of not making fun of her was usually the only way he could get her to try something new, well something new that had nothing to do with sex. She didn't need too much convincing in that department.

Chloe cleared her throat lightly, feeling slightly warmer at the thought of Oliver and sex in the same sentence. She moistened her lips before grabbing her slice of pie and pulling her legs up on the couch. Five minutes later both she and Connor were done with their pie, their plates discarded on the table as he stretched out slightly, his head resting against Chloe's side, legs hitting against Oliver's larger one while his eyes were glued to the screen watching intently.

Chloe grinned as a slightly smaller version of their son slide across the soccer field, tumbling in mud, but still managing to make a goal. She spoke softly, affection in her voice, "I forgot how much smaller you were last year... At the rate you’re growing you're going to be taller then me soon..." She joked as she ran her fingers through his hair gently.

Oliver chuckled, “Just so long as he stays away from the coffee...”

Connor wrinkled his nose, “Eww, really? Coffee makes you short?”

Still laughing, Oliver nodded, “It stunts your growth.”

Connor glanced up at his mom for a second before shaking his head, “I’m not drinking coffee.”

Chloe snorted playfully, "You say that like I'd actually share it with you." She chuckled lightly, "You know Mom doesn't share her coffee with anyone... It's too precious. Sort of like you, but I love you more than my coffee, which really should let you know how incredibly special you are kid," she placed a kiss on the top of his head and stifled a yawn.

Connor frowned up at her, “You can’t get sleepy... Yawns are contagious.”

Oliver laughed softly again, “Its another side effect of the coffee, her body is trying to tell her it needs more caffeine.”

Chloe laughed lightly, "I'm not sleepy, Con... But more coffee does sound promising. Maybe I'll go make some real quick." She shifted slightly, but Conner didn't budge.

She nudged him gently and he snuggled further into her side, "I'm comfy."

Chloe scrunched her nose at Conner, "But I want coffee."

Conner giggled and shrugged, "So? We don't always get what we want, isn't that what you say sometimes?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "I think you got it backwards kiddo, I'm an adult I always get what I want... You are a kid and therfore sometimes you don get what you want."

Connor turned his head to glanced at his Mom eyebrow raised. "So you're telling me that you have everything that you want?"

Chloe opened her mouth about to speak when she caught sight of Oliver out of the corner of her eye. No... She didn't have everything that she wanted.

She swallowed hard and gave him a small smile, but her eyes didn't light up like they had before, "I have you... What more could I want kid?" She tried to break the tension that had come over her by lightening her answer, "... Aside from my coffee I mean."

Connor shrugged, “Pie probably... You always complain when the bakery runs out...” Chloe opened her mouth to protest when Connor jumped, tapping Oliver’s arm frantically, “This is it! This is the shot, watch closely!” He said excitedly.

Oliver followed Connor’s eyes to the screen, his gaze completely glued to the action Chloe had caught on camera. A teammate of Connor’s in an identical blue uniform had taken a shot, kicking the soccer ball toward the goal too high and off to the side, causing it to bounce off the goal post. For a moment, Oliver thought Connor would be there to kick it in, but the ball was still too high in the air.

Before it dropped to the ground however, Oliver saw Connor jump up, knocking the ball in the direction of the goal with just his head. The goalie was so caught off guard because the ball hadn’t even dropped yet, and the ball soared right into the goal, just off to the side of the opposing teams keeper.

“And thats how we won!” Connor grinned as he continued to watch his teammates surround him.

Oliver felt his heart swell with pride, and while he was thankful that he was able to watch the game, he had wished that he had been there. “That was very resourceful of you, what made you think to do that?”

“I watched a Professional Football player do it in a game, and just--” Connor grinned again as the game was called to an end, and after lining up to shake the opposing teams hands, he ran to his mom eagerly, a red mark across his forehead from where he had hit the ball. “Well, I just improvised when I saw the ball falling.”

“You’ve got a red mark from the hit, did it hurt?” Oliver asked, as he watched the screen, with Connor smiling into the camera at Chloe, continuously asking if she seen him.

“A little,” Connor replied. “Coach says kids don’t usually make those shots till middle school. But it didn’t bruise.”

“Hard head then, like your Mom,” Oliver smirked over at Chloe.

Connor chuckled and nodded, "Yup!"

Chloe frowned at them, "Hey! I'm sitting right here... You realize that right? No ganging up on the person who spent eighteen hours of her life bringing you into this world."

Connor made a face while rolling his eyes affectionately, "But wasn’t it the best eighteen hours of your life?"

Chloe snorted, "No... What I got after those eighteen hours was the best thing of my life."

Connor grinned and gave Chloe a sideways glance, "Can we watch the next one now?" Chloe nodded and Connor moved to get up and put in the next disc. He settled back onto the couch as Chloe pressed play and he burrowed into her side again.

Oliver’s eyes drifted over from Connor to Chloe, and he wondered what those eighteen hours had been like for her. He imagined she had cried, screamed, and cursed his name a lot, but he would have given anything to have been there. He knew Chloe hadn’t wanted him there, which was only proven by his absence over the last six years. But he knew Chloe well enough to know that she probably had felt scared and alone when her water had broke and she was trying to deliver Connor by herself. Which only cemented how she was probably still the strongest person he knew.

He turned his attention back to the TV, watching as Connor played hard, stealing the ball from an opponent. It struck him as amazing how alike they were in the way they moved, despite the age differences and how Connor hadn’t been around Oliver at all. He wondered if Chloe had caught the similarities through the lens and if it made her remember or think of him at all.

Chloe's hand ran through Connor's hair as she took in his image on the screen. It was uncanny how much like Oliver their son was. Everything Connor did reminded her of him... It had been hard at first. The first few years of Connor's life she remembered crying a lot. Every face he'd make, every expression he drew that reminded her of Oliver would set off new bouts of tears. She had fallen into a state of depression, but never once let it over power her... She had always pushed it to the side... For Connor. He had needed her.

But despite pushing her emotions aside, Chloe had missed Oliver terribly and even considered going back to him quite a few times, but Connor had kept her away. How could she be selfish and go back for her own reasons when she had seen the future? She couldn't put their son through that no matter how bad she had wanted them to be a family... The day Connor was born was the day everything she wanted stopped mattering.

Chloe's eyes drifted to Oliver as he watched the game intently and she wondered what it would have been like to have him there on the sidelines, cheering Connor on with her. Or getting ready for games and celebrating with pizza afterwards. She turned back toward the screen her eyes glassy, she needed to stop those thoughts from taking over in her mind. It didn't matter what it would have been like because though Oliver was being civil to her... Even nice, it didn't mean he had forgiven her. She knew he was only being friendly so he could get to know Connor. He didn't want her in his life... He just wanted to know their son and that was something she was going to have to accept.

On screen, Connor side stepped a player, dashing around him and kicking the ball into the goal on an angle as he slid to the ground, with the ball flying into the net there was a deep inhalation on the TV, Chloe's whispered voice caught on tape, sounding slightly broken, voice echoing through the quiet room with cheering parents in the background, "God, he moves just like him..."

Oliver’s eyes immediately met Chloe’s and he inhaled sharply as he stared at her, surprised he had been in her thoughts and that the video had recorded her words.

Chloe gripped the remote tightly pausing the video and swallowing hard. Even she could hear the pain in her own voice and she wished she could rewind time and stop the video before Oliver had heard that. She hadn't realized that the video had caught her words and suddenly she remembered this game all too well. It was last year and her mind had already been on Oliver because had they stayed together the day of the game they were currently watching would have been their seven year anniversary. And watching Connor had practically brought her to tears.

She remembered him running over to her after the game face flushed with pride and then asking her several times on video if she was okay and why she was crying. It was a pretty safe bet to say Oliver would not be finishing this video.

She glanced down at Connor, noticing he was fast asleep against her side. She could feel Oliver's eyes on her and she cleared her throat, voice low, "He's asleep..."

Oliver studied her in the silence for a moment before he glanced down at their sleeping son, his breathing was slow and relaxed. Licking his lips nervously, Oliver glimpsed back at Chloe, “Want me to carry him to his room?”

She nodded without looking at him as she moved her arm off of Connor, giving Oliver room to lift him from her side, "Could you? I should really clean up this mess."

“Yeah,” Oliver answered as he slid his arms beneath Connor, and lifted him up against his chest. “You’re going to help me tuck him in though, right?” Oliver laughed nervously, and very low as he stood slowly from the couch, afraid to wake Connor. “I’m kind of... New at this and unsure...”

She shook her head and stood, gathering the plates quietly in her hand, "No... I'm going to let you do it on your own. I've seen you with him, Oliver... You've got nothing to be unsure about. You're a natural..."

Chloe hesitated slightly before her the next words flew out of her mouth, "I trust you with him... If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen," she touched his arm lightly as she moved under the archway, her heart beating hard against her chest.

For the past couple of days she hadn't wanted to let them out of her site, terrified that he'd disappear with her son. But at some point she needed to let go... Trust that he wouldn't do anything to harm Connor and she needed to start small. This was her way of trying to show him that she considered him to be a part of their lives now... Well sort of anyway. It wasn't a huge gesture, but it was all she could give him at the moment.

Nodding, Oliver turned and headed out of the living room, carefully shifting Connor securely in his arms before he started up the stairs to his room. He took each step slowly with caution, not willing to chance accidentally hurting or waking their son as he slept in his arms soundly. He wanted to laugh at how silly it sounded, that someone who had to be careful when zip-lining down skyscrapers, was more worried about not being careful enough while holding a six year old child.

He came to the top of the stairs, successfully stepping onto the second floor before he walked quietly down the hallway, toward Connor’s room. He walked inside, using the light from the hallway to navigate his way to Connor’s bed.

Lying their son down gently, Oliver drew back the blankets and sheet with slow precision, careful to not stir Connor. He knelt by Connor’s bedside, placing the covers over him gently, and tucking him in before he ran his hand over Connor’s head softly.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver licked his lips anxiously, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there... That I couldn’t give your mom a reason to stay.”

He swallowed, nearly choking on his words as he stared at the at relaxed expression on his sons face, “I may not have known about you until recently... But I promise I’ve loved you before you were a possibility.”

Oliver took in another shaky breath as he trailed his fingers over Connor’s blond locks gently again, “I just hope you will love me.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips tenderly to Connor’s forehead, before he stepped back, heading out of the room, and lightly closing the door behind him.

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