Gift of Fate Chapter 14 (15/?)
May. 30th, 2011 11:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luminare91Summary: 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.
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jessicaj703 Thanks for all the help!
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13
Banner bygeek_or_unique
Author’s Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I was blown away by the positive response. You guys keep me from falling into second guessing myself.
Chapter 14
Oliver woke to the wonderful feeling of the small, soft body of Chloe Sullivan wrapped tightly in his arms. Their legs were tangled together and her head was resting on his chest. He grinned sleepily and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She made a quiet noise in the back of her throat and shifted closer to him, tightening her grip on his waist.
His eyes began to drift closed. Though wanting nothing more than to give in to the pressing desire to stay in bed with the woman he could finally call his girlfriend, he forced his eyes open. He had things that he had to do before Chloe woke up.
Careful not to disturb her, he slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the room, grabbing his sweatpants and closing the door behind him. Knowing that Chloe was likely to wake up soon -- she rarely slept more than eight hours, even when she’d been up for days on coffee alone -- he started a pot of coffee before grabbing a trash bag and heading back to his room.
Steeling himself mentally, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The sight of the bloodstained sheets and the torn clothes on the floor, still covered in blood, turned his stomach. The bright sunlight streaming in through the window made it hard to miss the stained fabric. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Chloe to actually be in the room while he was bleeding out in front of her. Blood didn’t usually bother him, but knowing that all of it was his and that losing that much blood should have killed him made him sick to his stomach.
Breathing through his mouth to keep from throwing up, Oliver stripped the ruined sheets from the bed and shoved them in the trash bag. The mattress pad was also stained, so he pulled it off and tossed it in the bag as well. Miraculously, the mattress itself had escaped unscathed. His shirt was mangled beyond saving, so he threw it in the bag along with the sheets. Tying it off, he tossed it in the closet where it could remain hidden until he got a chance to dispose of it safely. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to get rid of something after a patrol. He couldn’t take the risk that someone would find the ruined gear and discover that it had his blood on it or uncover some other evidence that would connect him to his leather clad counterpart.
He grabbed his stained vest off the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed to examine it. The blood would wash out easily enough and the bullet hole looked like it could be repaired. But it would always be visible as a reminder of how close he’d come to dying. As if the memory of Chloe lying lifeless on his bed after dying in his place wasn’t enough to ensure that he would never forget.
After running his fingers over the vest one last time, he threw it in the closet with the trash bag. He didn’t want to risk Chloe seeing it before he had a chance to wash it off and he didn’t want her walking in on him while he was doing it. She’d cleaned his bloody gear before herself, but this time was different. He’d always seen the slight look of pain in her eyes when she dealt with the aftermath of his injuries. He wasn’t about to put her through that after he’d almost died. He wanted to do everything he could to keep her from remembering what had happened the night before.
Well, the nearly dying bit of the evening, that is. That he wanted her to forget. He really wanted her to remember the sex because he was hoping that part would happen again.
A grin stretched across his face at the memory. It been amazing, but more than that, he felt like he and Chloe were finally where they were supposed to be. Things were going right for them at last.
Surprised that Chloe hadn’t come looking for him yet, Oliver returned to Chloe’s bedroom. She was still fast asleep, sprawled out across the bed. One hand rested on the space where he’d been sleeping, almost as though she’d been searching for him in her slumber. He smiled softly and slipped in beside her again. He almost shivered at the feel of her skin against his again. She groaned quietly and her eyes opened.
“Hey,” Oliver said quietly, brushing her hair out of her face.
She smiled and rolled into him, sliding her hand up his chest. “Morning,” she murmured.
“It’s not morning,” he chuckled. “But the sentiment’s nice.”
Making a disgruntled noise, she slapped his arm sleepily. “Jerk. What time is it?”
“Almost three-thirty.”
“That’s too early!”
He laughed. “I thought you were used to all-nighters.”
“You’ve never seen the aftermath of one where I haven’t had coffee.”
“Is this your way of telling me to get lost and bring you some? Because if it is, I think I’m hurt that you’re already kicking me out after our first night together.”
“Jerk,” she muttered again, hooking her arms around his waist and clinging to him tightly. “Don’t even think about going anywhere.”
“So you want me to stay?”
She nodded into his chest.
“Are you sure? Because I will go get coffee if you want me too.”
Chloe pressed a kiss to his chest, just above his heart. His breath caught and he felt her smirk against his skin.
“Stay,” she ordered, kissing him again.
A shiver rolled down his spine and he rolled them over so that he was hovering above her. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Something on your mind?” she asked innocently. Her voice betrayed her thoughts. It was trembling slightly and a half octave lower.
Oliver leaned down and kissed her slowly. He teased the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened them. She moaned as he lazily stroked the inside of her mouth. Her hand came up to grip his arm and she wrapped one leg around him, pulling him closer and returning the kiss.
After a moment, he drew back and smirked down at her. “Just you.”
“Really?” she teased. “Just me?”
His smirked widened and his eyes darkened slightly. “Well, you and certain other things.”
She cocked an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask exactly what other things were on his mind, but she never got the chance. He pressed a knee between her legs and began to knead one breast with his strong fingers, causing her to gasp. “No, I take it back,” he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. “You are the only thing on my mind.”
“Ditto,” she gasped, her back arching and a moan of pleasure escaping her lips.
Oliver leaned in to kiss her again, but stopped short when the elevator buzzed. The sound rang through the apartment, completely spoiling the moment. He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, letting out a groan of frustration.
“Damn it,” he hissed. “That’s probably Hal.”
Chloe ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “To be continued?” she suggested.
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I locked the elevator, but he has the code and he has an uncanny ability to get into places he’s not supposed to. Knowing him, he’ll probably just waltz right in, regardless of what we’re doing in here. He’s done it before.”
Chloe sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. Her eyebrows had climbed to her forehead. “Really? How many times did this happen?”
“More often than I’d like to admit,” he said sheepishly. “I’m not about to let it happen again, though. It’s not such a big deal form him to walk in when it’s just me, but I’m not about to let him see you. Call me a caveman, but I want to protect your gorgeous body from other prying eyes.”
Her cheeks reddened slightly and she looked away. “It is definitely caveman-like behavior, but I think I like it. Now let me up so I can get dressed.”
She batted at his chest, pushing him out of the bed. The buzzer rang through the penthouse again, reminding him tat someone was waiting downstairs. So he allowed Chloe to shoe him out the door.
“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.
Giggling, she shook her head and threw a pillow at him. Oliver easily avoided the projectile by ducking behind the door.
When he was gone, Chloe leapt out o bed and quickly threw on some clothes. She attempted to tame her hair by combing her fingers through it, but gave it up as a lost cause. At least it looked tousled in a good way. Fully dressed, she crossed the room to the pile of boxes that was shoved up against one wall.
She’d finally gotten around to getting the rest of her things from the apartment. With Lois still living there, there had been no hurry. Clark had volunteered to pack up her belongings and bring them up to her, but most of it was still in boxes because she hadn’t had a chance to go through them.
A low rumble of voices began to emanate from the living room and she realized that whoever the guest was had finally arrived. Moving as quickly and quietly as she could, she searched the boxes until she found the one that contained what few items had been left in her dresser. Most of her clothes had already migrated to Star City, but there had been one drawer full of keepsakes. It had become a kind of shrine to Oliver and their relationship while he was gone.
Clark had carefully cushioned the mementos with the few t-shirts he’d found in the dresser. ON top were pictures that chronicled her relationship with Oliver. Her favorite was one from the first date, or what she considered their first date at the beach. While she’d been basking on her towel waiting for the sunscreen was to set in, Oliver had already been out in the water. She’d pulled her phone out of her bag and snapped a picture of him standing up to his calves in the ocean, shaking the water from his hair. That candid shot had helped remind her of that day and how happy it had been.
She set the pictures aside and began pulling out the rest of the items. Next was the graduation program and article she’d written, the bracelet he’d given her for her birthday, tickets from a play they’d gone to, and a few other odds and ends. She pulled out a few more items before finding what she was looking for. It was a small velvet pouch that contained her most important reminder of Oliver and her feelings for him. When she’d tried to move on from him, it had been the first thing she’d put away. And when she’d realized it was time to move on with him, it had been the first thing she’d wanted to get out again.
Chloe shoved the pouch in her pocket so that she could give it to Oliver later and hurried down the hall.
***
Seriously? Hal thought irritably, tapping his foot and glaring at the intercom. He was standing in the elevator, waiting for Oliver to let him up. Oliver must have changed the code and forgotten, because it hadn’t worked when Hal keyed it in. He’d already been back to Queen Industries and been told that Oliver had the day off. Based on how twitterpated his friend had sounded, Hal had guessed that he’d be at his penthouse with the girl he’d mentioned the day before. He was beginning to consider just leaving.
He was just contemplating using other means to get into the penthouse when the elevator started to climb.
“Finally,” he muttered.
When the door slid open, he was met by Oliver, who looked apologetic, but also slightly annoyed.
“What were you doing?” Hal demanded, striding into the living room like he owned the place. “I’ve been standing out there for half an hour.”
“I was busy,” Oliver said evasively.
Hal’s jaw dropped. “No way! You finally did it, didn’t you! You finally sealed the deal with that girl from Smallville!”
“Keep your voice down,” Oliver hissed, glancing over his shoulder toward the hall. “And it’s none of your business.”
“Come on, man! We’ve always told each other about our conquests.” Hal was grinning broadly, openly taunting Oliver. “She must be one hell of a piece of ass if you waited this long for her. Please tell me that she’s still here.”
Oliver face darkened instantly. He spared one more look down the hall, making sure that there was no chance Chloe would overhear, before answering in a low, deadly voice that wouldn’t carry down the hall. “Chloe isn’t a conquest and she is definitely not a piece of ass. She’s my girlfriend. She has been for almost three years. I’m not about to objectify her for your pleasure and if you say anything like that to her, I’ll throw you out on your ass, best friend or not.”
There was a small, pregnant silence. Then Hal’s grin widened. “Dude, you are totally head over heels for this girl.”
“Didn’t you already know that?” Oliver demanded, his eyes narrowed.
“I knew that you were seriously crushing on her,” Hal clarified. “You know as well as I do that those feelings can go out the window once you actually have sex. I was just making sure that you were still as gaga over this girl as you thought you were before you did something stupid and I had to pick up the pieces.”
Though still angry, Oliver looked confused as well. “So what the hell was that?”
“I was testing you.”
“You were what?”
“Man, I know that you’re smarter than this. I was testing you.”
When Oliver continued to look confused, Hal groaned. “With every other girl you have ever been with, you objectified her right along with me. If that had been Jennifer Markham up there, you’d have said, ‘Yes, she’s one awesome piece of ass, but so not worth the wait.’ But you didn’t do that. You got all chivalrous and noble and straight up told me that I was being inappropriate. You like this girl, Oliver. More than you’ve ever liked anyone else. I’d even go so far as to say that you’re in love with her, but I’ve barely seen you and I haven’t seen her, so I’m not going to jump to conclusions.”
There was a moment of silence, then Oliver said slowly. “You were testing me?”
“How many times do I have to say that? Yes!”
“Why?”
“I already explained this,” he said tiredly. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t get hurt. You think I don’t know why you didn’t let any of those other girls get close to you? Why I was your only friend? You were keeping us all at arms length in case something happened so you wouldn’t get hurt. I knew from the beginning that when you finally did fall for someone, you’d fall hard and you’d probably end up with a broken heart in the process. I’ve seen you when something goes wrong. Like every year on the anniversary of that kid’s death. I wasn’t abo--”
“Wait a second,” Oliver interrupted. “You noticed that?”
“That one day every year you partied harder than ever but had absolutely no fun? Yeah, I noticed.”
“How do you know about Duncan?”
“What part of best friend do you not understand?” Hal demanded, beginning to get angry that Oliver was being so slow on the uptake. He could understand being a bit muddled after a night of great sex, but this was ridiculous. “When I noticed that pattern and realized how bad it was, I decided to look into it. Finding out about Duncan wasn’t exactly difficult.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I might be your best friend, but I didn’t want to overstep my bounds. It was one thing to understand what was going on, another thing to get into your business.”
A faint smirk appeared across Oliver’s face. “So what are you doing now?”
“Getting into your business.”
“Why now and not before?”
Hal groaned in frustration. “It seemed like you were dealing, not well mind you, but you were dealing. This time was something else entirely. I was afraid that you were deluding yourself and that you were going to end up a bigger mess than before and I’m pretty sure that would actually kill you.”
He had a point there. It wasn’t until he’d met Chloe that Oliver had felt comfortable moving on from Duncan’s death. Her simple words that night at the bonfire, before they were attacked, had been enough to banish the remnants of his self-recrimination. He still felt guilty and probably always would, but he no longer completely blamed himself. If things went wrong with Chloe as they nearly had, Oliver knew that he’d be destroyed.
“I’m sorry if I was an ass about your girl,” Hal said softly. “I’m sure she’s amazing. You definitely make her sound like one in a million. But you’re my best friend, and I’m just looking out for you the only way I know how.”
Oliver close the distance between them and clapped Hal on the shoulder. “Thanks man. Sorry I was a jerk before.”
“Seeing as that was the reaction I was hoping for, I really can’t complain.”
A laugh escaped Oliver’s lips. “Yeah, let’s never do that again.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault your brain wasn’t engaged.”
“How was I supposed to know that you were pushing my buttons for my own benefit?”
“Come on, man, you should know by now, that’s just how I work.”
“Well for future reference, don’t say anything like that to Chloe,” he warned. “She might just do you bodily harm.”
Hal raised an eyebrow. “No worries. I may be a cheap voyeur, but not when it comes to serious relationships. I really don’t want the details.”
Chloe chose that moment to walk into the room. “Details of what?” she asked curiously.
“Details of my extended island vacation,” Oliver said quickly, covering for Hal since the other man really did have his best interests at heart. It wasn’t fair to leave him to Chloe’s wrath. He wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders and steered her forward. “Chloe, this is Hal Jordan. He’s probably the best friend I have outside of Smallville. Hal, this is Chloe Sullivan, my girlfriend.”
Smiling warmly, Chloe extended her hand to him. “Nice to meet you. You’re going to have to tell me some stories about Oliver. I don’t have nearly enough blackmail material.”
“I’m hurt,” Oliver pouted. “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
She just shrugged.
Hal took her hand, a strange expression of recognition, disbelief, and confusion etched across his face. “Nice to meet you. Oliver’s told me a lot about you. I have to say that you are far more beautiful in person though.”
A blush painted her cheeks and she giggled slightly. Oliver rolled his eyes. “What part of ‘my girlfriend’ is hard to process, Hal?”
“None of it,” he said easily. “I’m just having fun. I have no doubt that he lucked out with you. And even though I barely know you, I can tell that you’re intelligent. So how exactly did he trick you into believing that he was worth your time?”
Chloe rolled her eyes, leaning into Oliver’s side and wrapping her arm around him tightly. “He noticed me when no one else did and accepted me for who I am. That was all I needed.”
“Fair enough. For the record, I’m happy for both of you. Oliver told me about how complicated things were,” he explained. “The fact that you were both willing to wait for so long is seriously impressive. I’m honestly kind of jealous that you two found each other.”
“I’m pretty happy with that, too,” Chloe whispered.
Oliver kissed her forehead tenderly. “Me, too.”
Hal watched them with amusement. He’d never seen Oliver like that with anyone. The moment she’d walked into the room, Oliver had reoriented himself to her unwittingly. His body had cocked toward her the instant she’d spoken. It was amusing to see Oliver so hung up over someone when for the majority of their friendship, he’d made a point of forming absolutely no connections with women.
When the lovebirds didn’t show any signs of breaking eye contact or ending their little moment, he cleared his throat. “All right. Stop it with the lovey-dovey. There’s company in the room. I actually only came by to set up a lunch date or something. I had some business come up and I’ve got to be on my way.”
“Well, we’re free all weekend,” Chloe said quickly. “Just call us when you’re done and we’ll figure something out.”
“I have somewhere to be tomorrow evening,” Oliver added. “But other than that, we have absolutely nothing going on. We can probably plan something during the week if that’s better for you.”
“In that case, I’ll call you when I have some free time.” Hal grinned and started toward the door. “Chloe, it was nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to getting know the girl who finally managed to get Oliver to settle down.”
“Of course you are,” Oliver said dryly. “Just call me when you’re ready to hang out.”
Hal grinned and ducked into the elevator. He carefully kept the smile plastered on his face until he was out of the building. He was well aware of the cameras. Once he was outside, the grin slid of his face, to be replaced with a thoughtful expression.
As he walked across the sidewalk to his car, his hand delved into his pocket, buy he didn’t draw it out until he was safely inside his car. Resting on his palm, was his emerald green ring. It glowed slightly. Smirking, he tucked it back into his pocket. He knew that he’d recognized Chloe from somewhere.
This, he thought humorously, is going to be fun.
***
The moment Hal was gone, Oliver grabbed Chloe by the hand and pulled her against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, lightly playing with the strands. Chloe giggled softly and he took the opportunity to kiss her deeply. His hand slid down to cup her ass.
Chloe gripped the front of his shirt and pushed him back, breaking the kiss. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she murmured.
“Why not? Didn’t we leave the bedroom with unfinished business?”
“Yes. But it’s going to have to wait until tonight.”
Why is that?”
“Because I have work to do,” she whispered.
He began pressing kisses to the column of her neck. “It can wait.”
“No, it can’t. I promised Green Lantern that I’d look into that guy for him. You’re supposed to meet up with him tomorrow night. Who knows how long it’ll take to track this guy down.”
“You know as well as I do that if you get started on this then you’ll be up half the night,” he said, almost sourly. “Come on, Chloe. You’ll have all day tomorrow to look into this.”
“Not if Hal calls and we end up spending half the day with him tomorrow.”
Oliver groaned, realizing that he was never going to win that argument. “Fine,” he muttered. “But I am dragging you away from that computer at ten o’clock,” he warned.
“See,” she whispered, kissing him gently. “That’s what compromise gets us.”
“Uh huh,” he muttered, still feeling slightly annoyed.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “You are ridiculous.”
“No. I just want to sleep with my amazing girlfriend, who I can finally call my girlfriend after not being with her for more than two years.”
“No. You’re just horny.”
He smirked. “That might be true.”
She laughed once and pulled something out of her pocket, dangling it in front of his face. Raising his eyebrows, he caught the little green pouch.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Something I’ve been carrying around for a long time that I think you should have.”
Intrigued, he pulled open the pouch, dumping the contents into his hand. It was his father’s ring, still attached to the chain.
“I used to wear it every day,” she said softly. “It reminded me of you and everything we had. When Lois finally convinced me to move on, I put it away. Then you showed up and we left in such a hurry that it ended up sitting in a drawer in my apartment until Clark brought everything over. I’d honestly kinda forgotten about it. I figured it was time to give it back to you.”
Oliver stared at her in awe. “I can’t believe you kept it for so long.”
“I didn’t have the heart to get rid of it.”
“When I gave this to you, I thought I’d only be gone for a few weeks. I never meant for you to have to keep it.”
She just shrugged.
Oliver fingered the ring and it’s chain, lost deep in thought. For years, he’d worn his father’s ring as a reminder of his parents. The ring was a family heirloom. He wasn’t even sure how old it was. His father had given it to him before leaving for the trip he hadn’t come back from. Oliver, who’d been ten years old at the time, had been throwing a fit because he didn’t want his parents to leave without him. His father had given him the ring, telling him that he was the man of the house while they were gone. It had always been a reminder of the man his parents would have wanted him to be.
When he’d given Chloe the ring it had been a promise, to himself as much as to her, that he wouldn’t run away from her. Going away on that business trip would have been the perfect excuse to get out of a relationship and he’d known it. With any other girl he would have done just that. But not with Chloe. That was why he’d given her the ring. He’d wanted her to hold a part of him so that he would always remember what they’d had.
Chloe, recognizing that Oliver was lost deep in thought, went to get a cup of coffee. Mug in hand, she retrieved the flash drive Green Lantern had given her from her bedroom and returned to the living room. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, her laptop balanced on her knees.
She started slightly when she felt a chain being draped around her neck. Looking down, she saw Oliver’s ring resting against her skin. Her hand rose and she touched it gently as she looked up at him.
“What are you doing?” she asked in confusion.
Kissing tenderly behind her ear, Oliver whispered, “I want you to go ahead and keep it. This way you’ll always have proof that I belong to you.”
“Ollie,” she murmured. “It’s all you have of your dad.”
He chuckled quietly. “There’s a whole house full of mementos in the house. Which, by the way, you really need to see. My parents would have loved you, Chloe. And I want everyone to know that I belong to you and no one else.”
Her heart melted. Standing on her toes, she kissed him gently. “You don’t need to prove that to anyone. I know and that’s all that matters.”
“I know,” he shrugged. “But I still want the world to know how lucky I am.”
“Almost as lucky as me?” she suggested lightly.
He rolled his eyes. “Just get to work so that we can both get lucky.”
Chloe elbowed him lightly. He doubled over in mock pain and she turned back to her computer.
***
She spent the rest of the day researching. For a while, Oliver sat beside her, occupying himself and helping when he could, but since most of what she was doing was hacking and sifting through data he wasn’t actually much help.
All the data on the flash drive had been about a guy named Dr. Mark Fitzgerald. The Green Lantern had tentatively linked him to several missing persons cases across the country, particularly in the western states. Chloe had spent the majority of the day confirming the data.
He’d ordered in pizza when it got late and Chloe had taken a short break to eat. She’d gone right back to work afterward. Feeling antsy, Oliver had gone back to his room. In a fit of domesticity, he remade the bed with a new set of sheets. Then, since Chloe was happily occupied and would be for the foreseeable future, he dug his bloody vest out of the closet and set about washing it.
He was just beginning to examine the bullet hole to determine whether or not the vest could be repaired when he heard Chloe shouting his name. She sounded alarmed.
Instantly alert, Oliver bolted out the door and down the hallway. She was still sitting cross-legged on the couch, her laptop balanced on her knees. There were papers scattered around her, covered in notes. She was staring at her computer screen, her mouth hanging open, and a look of mingled amazement and horror on her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, standing over her to look at the computer screen.
“We need to get into contact with Green Lantern tonight,” she said slowly. “Because this is a lot bigger than any of us ever imagined.”
“What are you talking about?” Oliver asked in confusion.
“I linked Dr. Fitzgerald to all the missing persons cases that Green Lantern thought he was involved in,” she explained. “When I was looking into their backgrounds to try to figure out why exactly they’d been targeted. They were all isolated, mostly loners, and their backgrounds were full of mysterious events that could all be linked back to them.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Oh, hell no.”
“I think they were all meta humans. If Green Lantern is right and this guy is in Star City, I think he’s the one that’s behind the cases I’ve been looking into. I haven’t managed to figure what identity he’s using here, but everything matches.”
“You have got to be kidding me. I can’t believe this is all connected.”
“It’s a small world,” she said weakly. “I don’t think we can wait until Sunday night to talk to him about this. It's almost a week away. He needs to know how big this is now.”
“He definitely needs to be told,” Oliver agreed. “But I don’t exactly know how to get a hold of him. We're just going to have to wait.”
Chloe looked up at him with a sheepish expression. “I might have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”
He definitely didn’t like the sound of that.
Author’s Note: So what do you think? It’s beginning to get a little a more complicated for our favorite duo, lol. I’ll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible considering I’m going to be on the road for the next week. Hopefully, I’ll still have time to write since we’re only driving a couple of hours each day. Please continue to leave me lots of reviews! They inspire me, which is always a good thing :)
Chapter 15
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.
Beta:
jessicaj703 Thanks for all the help!Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13
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geek_or_unique Author’s Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I was blown away by the positive response. You guys keep me from falling into second guessing myself.
Chapter 14
Oliver woke to the wonderful feeling of the small, soft body of Chloe Sullivan wrapped tightly in his arms. Their legs were tangled together and her head was resting on his chest. He grinned sleepily and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She made a quiet noise in the back of her throat and shifted closer to him, tightening her grip on his waist.
His eyes began to drift closed. Though wanting nothing more than to give in to the pressing desire to stay in bed with the woman he could finally call his girlfriend, he forced his eyes open. He had things that he had to do before Chloe woke up.
Careful not to disturb her, he slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the room, grabbing his sweatpants and closing the door behind him. Knowing that Chloe was likely to wake up soon -- she rarely slept more than eight hours, even when she’d been up for days on coffee alone -- he started a pot of coffee before grabbing a trash bag and heading back to his room.
Steeling himself mentally, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The sight of the bloodstained sheets and the torn clothes on the floor, still covered in blood, turned his stomach. The bright sunlight streaming in through the window made it hard to miss the stained fabric. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Chloe to actually be in the room while he was bleeding out in front of her. Blood didn’t usually bother him, but knowing that all of it was his and that losing that much blood should have killed him made him sick to his stomach.
Breathing through his mouth to keep from throwing up, Oliver stripped the ruined sheets from the bed and shoved them in the trash bag. The mattress pad was also stained, so he pulled it off and tossed it in the bag as well. Miraculously, the mattress itself had escaped unscathed. His shirt was mangled beyond saving, so he threw it in the bag along with the sheets. Tying it off, he tossed it in the closet where it could remain hidden until he got a chance to dispose of it safely. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to get rid of something after a patrol. He couldn’t take the risk that someone would find the ruined gear and discover that it had his blood on it or uncover some other evidence that would connect him to his leather clad counterpart.
He grabbed his stained vest off the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed to examine it. The blood would wash out easily enough and the bullet hole looked like it could be repaired. But it would always be visible as a reminder of how close he’d come to dying. As if the memory of Chloe lying lifeless on his bed after dying in his place wasn’t enough to ensure that he would never forget.
After running his fingers over the vest one last time, he threw it in the closet with the trash bag. He didn’t want to risk Chloe seeing it before he had a chance to wash it off and he didn’t want her walking in on him while he was doing it. She’d cleaned his bloody gear before herself, but this time was different. He’d always seen the slight look of pain in her eyes when she dealt with the aftermath of his injuries. He wasn’t about to put her through that after he’d almost died. He wanted to do everything he could to keep her from remembering what had happened the night before.
Well, the nearly dying bit of the evening, that is. That he wanted her to forget. He really wanted her to remember the sex because he was hoping that part would happen again.
A grin stretched across his face at the memory. It been amazing, but more than that, he felt like he and Chloe were finally where they were supposed to be. Things were going right for them at last.
Surprised that Chloe hadn’t come looking for him yet, Oliver returned to Chloe’s bedroom. She was still fast asleep, sprawled out across the bed. One hand rested on the space where he’d been sleeping, almost as though she’d been searching for him in her slumber. He smiled softly and slipped in beside her again. He almost shivered at the feel of her skin against his again. She groaned quietly and her eyes opened.
“Hey,” Oliver said quietly, brushing her hair out of her face.
She smiled and rolled into him, sliding her hand up his chest. “Morning,” she murmured.
“It’s not morning,” he chuckled. “But the sentiment’s nice.”
Making a disgruntled noise, she slapped his arm sleepily. “Jerk. What time is it?”
“Almost three-thirty.”
“That’s too early!”
He laughed. “I thought you were used to all-nighters.”
“You’ve never seen the aftermath of one where I haven’t had coffee.”
“Is this your way of telling me to get lost and bring you some? Because if it is, I think I’m hurt that you’re already kicking me out after our first night together.”
“Jerk,” she muttered again, hooking her arms around his waist and clinging to him tightly. “Don’t even think about going anywhere.”
“So you want me to stay?”
She nodded into his chest.
“Are you sure? Because I will go get coffee if you want me too.”
Chloe pressed a kiss to his chest, just above his heart. His breath caught and he felt her smirk against his skin.
“Stay,” she ordered, kissing him again.
A shiver rolled down his spine and he rolled them over so that he was hovering above her. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Something on your mind?” she asked innocently. Her voice betrayed her thoughts. It was trembling slightly and a half octave lower.
Oliver leaned down and kissed her slowly. He teased the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened them. She moaned as he lazily stroked the inside of her mouth. Her hand came up to grip his arm and she wrapped one leg around him, pulling him closer and returning the kiss.
After a moment, he drew back and smirked down at her. “Just you.”
“Really?” she teased. “Just me?”
His smirked widened and his eyes darkened slightly. “Well, you and certain other things.”
She cocked an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask exactly what other things were on his mind, but she never got the chance. He pressed a knee between her legs and began to knead one breast with his strong fingers, causing her to gasp. “No, I take it back,” he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. “You are the only thing on my mind.”
“Ditto,” she gasped, her back arching and a moan of pleasure escaping her lips.
Oliver leaned in to kiss her again, but stopped short when the elevator buzzed. The sound rang through the apartment, completely spoiling the moment. He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, letting out a groan of frustration.
“Damn it,” he hissed. “That’s probably Hal.”
Chloe ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “To be continued?” she suggested.
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I locked the elevator, but he has the code and he has an uncanny ability to get into places he’s not supposed to. Knowing him, he’ll probably just waltz right in, regardless of what we’re doing in here. He’s done it before.”
Chloe sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. Her eyebrows had climbed to her forehead. “Really? How many times did this happen?”
“More often than I’d like to admit,” he said sheepishly. “I’m not about to let it happen again, though. It’s not such a big deal form him to walk in when it’s just me, but I’m not about to let him see you. Call me a caveman, but I want to protect your gorgeous body from other prying eyes.”
Her cheeks reddened slightly and she looked away. “It is definitely caveman-like behavior, but I think I like it. Now let me up so I can get dressed.”
She batted at his chest, pushing him out of the bed. The buzzer rang through the penthouse again, reminding him tat someone was waiting downstairs. So he allowed Chloe to shoe him out the door.
“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.
Giggling, she shook her head and threw a pillow at him. Oliver easily avoided the projectile by ducking behind the door.
When he was gone, Chloe leapt out o bed and quickly threw on some clothes. She attempted to tame her hair by combing her fingers through it, but gave it up as a lost cause. At least it looked tousled in a good way. Fully dressed, she crossed the room to the pile of boxes that was shoved up against one wall.
She’d finally gotten around to getting the rest of her things from the apartment. With Lois still living there, there had been no hurry. Clark had volunteered to pack up her belongings and bring them up to her, but most of it was still in boxes because she hadn’t had a chance to go through them.
A low rumble of voices began to emanate from the living room and she realized that whoever the guest was had finally arrived. Moving as quickly and quietly as she could, she searched the boxes until she found the one that contained what few items had been left in her dresser. Most of her clothes had already migrated to Star City, but there had been one drawer full of keepsakes. It had become a kind of shrine to Oliver and their relationship while he was gone.
Clark had carefully cushioned the mementos with the few t-shirts he’d found in the dresser. ON top were pictures that chronicled her relationship with Oliver. Her favorite was one from the first date, or what she considered their first date at the beach. While she’d been basking on her towel waiting for the sunscreen was to set in, Oliver had already been out in the water. She’d pulled her phone out of her bag and snapped a picture of him standing up to his calves in the ocean, shaking the water from his hair. That candid shot had helped remind her of that day and how happy it had been.
She set the pictures aside and began pulling out the rest of the items. Next was the graduation program and article she’d written, the bracelet he’d given her for her birthday, tickets from a play they’d gone to, and a few other odds and ends. She pulled out a few more items before finding what she was looking for. It was a small velvet pouch that contained her most important reminder of Oliver and her feelings for him. When she’d tried to move on from him, it had been the first thing she’d put away. And when she’d realized it was time to move on with him, it had been the first thing she’d wanted to get out again.
Chloe shoved the pouch in her pocket so that she could give it to Oliver later and hurried down the hall.
***
Seriously? Hal thought irritably, tapping his foot and glaring at the intercom. He was standing in the elevator, waiting for Oliver to let him up. Oliver must have changed the code and forgotten, because it hadn’t worked when Hal keyed it in. He’d already been back to Queen Industries and been told that Oliver had the day off. Based on how twitterpated his friend had sounded, Hal had guessed that he’d be at his penthouse with the girl he’d mentioned the day before. He was beginning to consider just leaving.
He was just contemplating using other means to get into the penthouse when the elevator started to climb.
“Finally,” he muttered.
When the door slid open, he was met by Oliver, who looked apologetic, but also slightly annoyed.
“What were you doing?” Hal demanded, striding into the living room like he owned the place. “I’ve been standing out there for half an hour.”
“I was busy,” Oliver said evasively.
Hal’s jaw dropped. “No way! You finally did it, didn’t you! You finally sealed the deal with that girl from Smallville!”
“Keep your voice down,” Oliver hissed, glancing over his shoulder toward the hall. “And it’s none of your business.”
“Come on, man! We’ve always told each other about our conquests.” Hal was grinning broadly, openly taunting Oliver. “She must be one hell of a piece of ass if you waited this long for her. Please tell me that she’s still here.”
Oliver face darkened instantly. He spared one more look down the hall, making sure that there was no chance Chloe would overhear, before answering in a low, deadly voice that wouldn’t carry down the hall. “Chloe isn’t a conquest and she is definitely not a piece of ass. She’s my girlfriend. She has been for almost three years. I’m not about to objectify her for your pleasure and if you say anything like that to her, I’ll throw you out on your ass, best friend or not.”
There was a small, pregnant silence. Then Hal’s grin widened. “Dude, you are totally head over heels for this girl.”
“Didn’t you already know that?” Oliver demanded, his eyes narrowed.
“I knew that you were seriously crushing on her,” Hal clarified. “You know as well as I do that those feelings can go out the window once you actually have sex. I was just making sure that you were still as gaga over this girl as you thought you were before you did something stupid and I had to pick up the pieces.”
Though still angry, Oliver looked confused as well. “So what the hell was that?”
“I was testing you.”
“You were what?”
“Man, I know that you’re smarter than this. I was testing you.”
When Oliver continued to look confused, Hal groaned. “With every other girl you have ever been with, you objectified her right along with me. If that had been Jennifer Markham up there, you’d have said, ‘Yes, she’s one awesome piece of ass, but so not worth the wait.’ But you didn’t do that. You got all chivalrous and noble and straight up told me that I was being inappropriate. You like this girl, Oliver. More than you’ve ever liked anyone else. I’d even go so far as to say that you’re in love with her, but I’ve barely seen you and I haven’t seen her, so I’m not going to jump to conclusions.”
There was a moment of silence, then Oliver said slowly. “You were testing me?”
“How many times do I have to say that? Yes!”
“Why?”
“I already explained this,” he said tiredly. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t get hurt. You think I don’t know why you didn’t let any of those other girls get close to you? Why I was your only friend? You were keeping us all at arms length in case something happened so you wouldn’t get hurt. I knew from the beginning that when you finally did fall for someone, you’d fall hard and you’d probably end up with a broken heart in the process. I’ve seen you when something goes wrong. Like every year on the anniversary of that kid’s death. I wasn’t abo--”
“Wait a second,” Oliver interrupted. “You noticed that?”
“That one day every year you partied harder than ever but had absolutely no fun? Yeah, I noticed.”
“How do you know about Duncan?”
“What part of best friend do you not understand?” Hal demanded, beginning to get angry that Oliver was being so slow on the uptake. He could understand being a bit muddled after a night of great sex, but this was ridiculous. “When I noticed that pattern and realized how bad it was, I decided to look into it. Finding out about Duncan wasn’t exactly difficult.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I might be your best friend, but I didn’t want to overstep my bounds. It was one thing to understand what was going on, another thing to get into your business.”
A faint smirk appeared across Oliver’s face. “So what are you doing now?”
“Getting into your business.”
“Why now and not before?”
Hal groaned in frustration. “It seemed like you were dealing, not well mind you, but you were dealing. This time was something else entirely. I was afraid that you were deluding yourself and that you were going to end up a bigger mess than before and I’m pretty sure that would actually kill you.”
He had a point there. It wasn’t until he’d met Chloe that Oliver had felt comfortable moving on from Duncan’s death. Her simple words that night at the bonfire, before they were attacked, had been enough to banish the remnants of his self-recrimination. He still felt guilty and probably always would, but he no longer completely blamed himself. If things went wrong with Chloe as they nearly had, Oliver knew that he’d be destroyed.
“I’m sorry if I was an ass about your girl,” Hal said softly. “I’m sure she’s amazing. You definitely make her sound like one in a million. But you’re my best friend, and I’m just looking out for you the only way I know how.”
Oliver close the distance between them and clapped Hal on the shoulder. “Thanks man. Sorry I was a jerk before.”
“Seeing as that was the reaction I was hoping for, I really can’t complain.”
A laugh escaped Oliver’s lips. “Yeah, let’s never do that again.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault your brain wasn’t engaged.”
“How was I supposed to know that you were pushing my buttons for my own benefit?”
“Come on, man, you should know by now, that’s just how I work.”
“Well for future reference, don’t say anything like that to Chloe,” he warned. “She might just do you bodily harm.”
Hal raised an eyebrow. “No worries. I may be a cheap voyeur, but not when it comes to serious relationships. I really don’t want the details.”
Chloe chose that moment to walk into the room. “Details of what?” she asked curiously.
“Details of my extended island vacation,” Oliver said quickly, covering for Hal since the other man really did have his best interests at heart. It wasn’t fair to leave him to Chloe’s wrath. He wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders and steered her forward. “Chloe, this is Hal Jordan. He’s probably the best friend I have outside of Smallville. Hal, this is Chloe Sullivan, my girlfriend.”
Smiling warmly, Chloe extended her hand to him. “Nice to meet you. You’re going to have to tell me some stories about Oliver. I don’t have nearly enough blackmail material.”
“I’m hurt,” Oliver pouted. “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
She just shrugged.
Hal took her hand, a strange expression of recognition, disbelief, and confusion etched across his face. “Nice to meet you. Oliver’s told me a lot about you. I have to say that you are far more beautiful in person though.”
A blush painted her cheeks and she giggled slightly. Oliver rolled his eyes. “What part of ‘my girlfriend’ is hard to process, Hal?”
“None of it,” he said easily. “I’m just having fun. I have no doubt that he lucked out with you. And even though I barely know you, I can tell that you’re intelligent. So how exactly did he trick you into believing that he was worth your time?”
Chloe rolled her eyes, leaning into Oliver’s side and wrapping her arm around him tightly. “He noticed me when no one else did and accepted me for who I am. That was all I needed.”
“Fair enough. For the record, I’m happy for both of you. Oliver told me about how complicated things were,” he explained. “The fact that you were both willing to wait for so long is seriously impressive. I’m honestly kind of jealous that you two found each other.”
“I’m pretty happy with that, too,” Chloe whispered.
Oliver kissed her forehead tenderly. “Me, too.”
Hal watched them with amusement. He’d never seen Oliver like that with anyone. The moment she’d walked into the room, Oliver had reoriented himself to her unwittingly. His body had cocked toward her the instant she’d spoken. It was amusing to see Oliver so hung up over someone when for the majority of their friendship, he’d made a point of forming absolutely no connections with women.
When the lovebirds didn’t show any signs of breaking eye contact or ending their little moment, he cleared his throat. “All right. Stop it with the lovey-dovey. There’s company in the room. I actually only came by to set up a lunch date or something. I had some business come up and I’ve got to be on my way.”
“Well, we’re free all weekend,” Chloe said quickly. “Just call us when you’re done and we’ll figure something out.”
“I have somewhere to be tomorrow evening,” Oliver added. “But other than that, we have absolutely nothing going on. We can probably plan something during the week if that’s better for you.”
“In that case, I’ll call you when I have some free time.” Hal grinned and started toward the door. “Chloe, it was nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to getting know the girl who finally managed to get Oliver to settle down.”
“Of course you are,” Oliver said dryly. “Just call me when you’re ready to hang out.”
Hal grinned and ducked into the elevator. He carefully kept the smile plastered on his face until he was out of the building. He was well aware of the cameras. Once he was outside, the grin slid of his face, to be replaced with a thoughtful expression.
As he walked across the sidewalk to his car, his hand delved into his pocket, buy he didn’t draw it out until he was safely inside his car. Resting on his palm, was his emerald green ring. It glowed slightly. Smirking, he tucked it back into his pocket. He knew that he’d recognized Chloe from somewhere.
This, he thought humorously, is going to be fun.
***
The moment Hal was gone, Oliver grabbed Chloe by the hand and pulled her against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, lightly playing with the strands. Chloe giggled softly and he took the opportunity to kiss her deeply. His hand slid down to cup her ass.
Chloe gripped the front of his shirt and pushed him back, breaking the kiss. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she murmured.
“Why not? Didn’t we leave the bedroom with unfinished business?”
“Yes. But it’s going to have to wait until tonight.”
Why is that?”
“Because I have work to do,” she whispered.
He began pressing kisses to the column of her neck. “It can wait.”
“No, it can’t. I promised Green Lantern that I’d look into that guy for him. You’re supposed to meet up with him tomorrow night. Who knows how long it’ll take to track this guy down.”
“You know as well as I do that if you get started on this then you’ll be up half the night,” he said, almost sourly. “Come on, Chloe. You’ll have all day tomorrow to look into this.”
“Not if Hal calls and we end up spending half the day with him tomorrow.”
Oliver groaned, realizing that he was never going to win that argument. “Fine,” he muttered. “But I am dragging you away from that computer at ten o’clock,” he warned.
“See,” she whispered, kissing him gently. “That’s what compromise gets us.”
“Uh huh,” he muttered, still feeling slightly annoyed.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “You are ridiculous.”
“No. I just want to sleep with my amazing girlfriend, who I can finally call my girlfriend after not being with her for more than two years.”
“No. You’re just horny.”
He smirked. “That might be true.”
She laughed once and pulled something out of her pocket, dangling it in front of his face. Raising his eyebrows, he caught the little green pouch.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Something I’ve been carrying around for a long time that I think you should have.”
Intrigued, he pulled open the pouch, dumping the contents into his hand. It was his father’s ring, still attached to the chain.
“I used to wear it every day,” she said softly. “It reminded me of you and everything we had. When Lois finally convinced me to move on, I put it away. Then you showed up and we left in such a hurry that it ended up sitting in a drawer in my apartment until Clark brought everything over. I’d honestly kinda forgotten about it. I figured it was time to give it back to you.”
Oliver stared at her in awe. “I can’t believe you kept it for so long.”
“I didn’t have the heart to get rid of it.”
“When I gave this to you, I thought I’d only be gone for a few weeks. I never meant for you to have to keep it.”
She just shrugged.
Oliver fingered the ring and it’s chain, lost deep in thought. For years, he’d worn his father’s ring as a reminder of his parents. The ring was a family heirloom. He wasn’t even sure how old it was. His father had given it to him before leaving for the trip he hadn’t come back from. Oliver, who’d been ten years old at the time, had been throwing a fit because he didn’t want his parents to leave without him. His father had given him the ring, telling him that he was the man of the house while they were gone. It had always been a reminder of the man his parents would have wanted him to be.
When he’d given Chloe the ring it had been a promise, to himself as much as to her, that he wouldn’t run away from her. Going away on that business trip would have been the perfect excuse to get out of a relationship and he’d known it. With any other girl he would have done just that. But not with Chloe. That was why he’d given her the ring. He’d wanted her to hold a part of him so that he would always remember what they’d had.
Chloe, recognizing that Oliver was lost deep in thought, went to get a cup of coffee. Mug in hand, she retrieved the flash drive Green Lantern had given her from her bedroom and returned to the living room. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, her laptop balanced on her knees.
She started slightly when she felt a chain being draped around her neck. Looking down, she saw Oliver’s ring resting against her skin. Her hand rose and she touched it gently as she looked up at him.
“What are you doing?” she asked in confusion.
Kissing tenderly behind her ear, Oliver whispered, “I want you to go ahead and keep it. This way you’ll always have proof that I belong to you.”
“Ollie,” she murmured. “It’s all you have of your dad.”
He chuckled quietly. “There’s a whole house full of mementos in the house. Which, by the way, you really need to see. My parents would have loved you, Chloe. And I want everyone to know that I belong to you and no one else.”
Her heart melted. Standing on her toes, she kissed him gently. “You don’t need to prove that to anyone. I know and that’s all that matters.”
“I know,” he shrugged. “But I still want the world to know how lucky I am.”
“Almost as lucky as me?” she suggested lightly.
He rolled his eyes. “Just get to work so that we can both get lucky.”
Chloe elbowed him lightly. He doubled over in mock pain and she turned back to her computer.
***
She spent the rest of the day researching. For a while, Oliver sat beside her, occupying himself and helping when he could, but since most of what she was doing was hacking and sifting through data he wasn’t actually much help.
All the data on the flash drive had been about a guy named Dr. Mark Fitzgerald. The Green Lantern had tentatively linked him to several missing persons cases across the country, particularly in the western states. Chloe had spent the majority of the day confirming the data.
He’d ordered in pizza when it got late and Chloe had taken a short break to eat. She’d gone right back to work afterward. Feeling antsy, Oliver had gone back to his room. In a fit of domesticity, he remade the bed with a new set of sheets. Then, since Chloe was happily occupied and would be for the foreseeable future, he dug his bloody vest out of the closet and set about washing it.
He was just beginning to examine the bullet hole to determine whether or not the vest could be repaired when he heard Chloe shouting his name. She sounded alarmed.
Instantly alert, Oliver bolted out the door and down the hallway. She was still sitting cross-legged on the couch, her laptop balanced on her knees. There were papers scattered around her, covered in notes. She was staring at her computer screen, her mouth hanging open, and a look of mingled amazement and horror on her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, standing over her to look at the computer screen.
“We need to get into contact with Green Lantern tonight,” she said slowly. “Because this is a lot bigger than any of us ever imagined.”
“What are you talking about?” Oliver asked in confusion.
“I linked Dr. Fitzgerald to all the missing persons cases that Green Lantern thought he was involved in,” she explained. “When I was looking into their backgrounds to try to figure out why exactly they’d been targeted. They were all isolated, mostly loners, and their backgrounds were full of mysterious events that could all be linked back to them.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Oh, hell no.”
“I think they were all meta humans. If Green Lantern is right and this guy is in Star City, I think he’s the one that’s behind the cases I’ve been looking into. I haven’t managed to figure what identity he’s using here, but everything matches.”
“You have got to be kidding me. I can’t believe this is all connected.”
“It’s a small world,” she said weakly. “I don’t think we can wait until Sunday night to talk to him about this. It's almost a week away. He needs to know how big this is now.”
“He definitely needs to be told,” Oliver agreed. “But I don’t exactly know how to get a hold of him. We're just going to have to wait.”
Chloe looked up at him with a sheepish expression. “I might have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”
He definitely didn’t like the sound of that.
Author’s Note: So what do you think? It’s beginning to get a little a more complicated for our favorite duo, lol. I’ll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible considering I’m going to be on the road for the next week. Hopefully, I’ll still have time to write since we’re only driving a couple of hours each day. Please continue to leave me lots of reviews! They inspire me, which is always a good thing :)
Chapter 15
