Forgiveness 3/?
Title: Forgiveness 3/?
Summary: Two people that have wronged each other and their friends will only find forgiveness with one another.
Notes: I haven't given up on Seeing Her, I just needed to write something else.
Rating: M
Notes: Whew, this is a long one. I'm shocked I got it done. Now the editing on the other hand....I'm tired, so I hope it isnt to bad. I really hop you enjoy this chapter. This story has kind of turned into its own little moster.
“Get out!” Oliver yelled into his mike. He turned back to the woman typing furiously on the computer. “Come on!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Don’t rush me.” She continued clicking away on her keyboard, heart pounding a mile a minute, but she refused to be rushed and make a mistake. They wouldn’t get the chance again. She could hear the others rattling away in her ear piece and it was driving her crazy. Without a second thought she pulled it out and slammed it on the table.
Oliver paced nervously behind her. It wasn’t his safety he was concerned about; he was worried about getting her out. He was about to rush her again when she started disconnecting wires and throwing stuff back in her bag. “Come on.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him and out the door.
The alarms were even louder in the hallway, causing Chloe to finally realize how much trouble they were in. She wasn’t cut out for the super hero work; she worked best behind a computer. He pulled her along behind him, stopping at every corner and forcing her body behind the protection of his. They were almost out when they turned into a hallway and came face to face with two armed security guards.
Oliver pushed her to the ground, and covered her body with his as two shots rang through the air. He released two arrows, and didn’t even wait for both of them to meet there marks. “Come on.”
She didn’t even hear him as he yanked her onto to her feet and pulled her stumbling through a door. The only thing that she could think about was the bullets that had just narrowly missed both her and Oliver. What the hell had she been thinking?
“Come on Chloe.” She didn’t say anything, but he could feel her lagging behind as he pulled her behind him down the steps in the stairwell. They only had one more floor to go before she went tumbling into him and fell. Her hand slipped from his and she went crumbling to the ground. He didn’t even say anything and grabbed her by her arm rather roughly and yanked her onto her feet. She screamed.
Her ankle exploded in agony and she almost fell to the ground again, but Oliver hands caught her arm. “My ankle.”
“Son of a bitch.” He cursed and swung her up into his arms. The sound of a door opening and rushed footsteps from above alerted them to their company. Oliver hurried down the stairwell and kicked open the door to the alley.
Rain. It came down so hard and cold that Chloe gasped. Why hadn’t anyone warned her of the change in weather when she’d packed? Of course, she realized when they stopped at his bike, she’d arrived to their destination in a van earlier. The plan hadn’t been for her to make her escape on the back of Oliver’s bike.
He sat her down on the back of his back and threw his leg over. “Hold on.”
She’d barely had time to get her arms around him before they were off.
“What happened!?” Dinah bounded forward then stepped back again to make room for Oliver.
“I fell.” Chloe said as Oliver set her down in a chair. But her voice was barely recognizable through the chattering of her teeth.
“Stop standing around like bunch of idiots and get some towels!” Oliver boomed. He pushed his hood back and tossed his glasses onto the table before kneeling in front of her. “Let me see.” Gently he proceeded to take off her shoe, being careful with ever cringe and gasp she made. “This may hurt.” He said before touching her ankle. He heard her inhale sharply, but she didn’t say another word. After a quick inspection he stood up. “I think it’s just sprained.”
Chloe released a sigh of relief. Arthur arrived just then and wrapped a towel around her shoulders. “Thanks.” But she was hardly able to speak with her body shaking so badly.
“You need clothes.” Dinah said and walked off.
“Did you get everything?” Victor piped up while he unloaded Chloe’s bag.
“Yea.” The chattering wasn’t as bad, but it was still hard to talk. “Cold.”
Oliver frowned then stepped forward and lifted her back into his arms. Her cold hands slid over his neck. He cradled her closer, trying to keep her warm. “Go ahead and get out of here.” He didn’t spare them another thought as he carried Chloe to his bedroom. As he settled her on the edge of the bed light footsteps could be heard in the hallway behind him. When he turned around Dinah was walking through the doorway.
“These are some clothes I had in my work out bag.” She set them on the bed and stood up. “Everything okay?”
“Yea.” Chloe nodded her head and smiled. “Thanks.” She was already shrugging off the light sweater she had pulled on earlier that night believing it would keep her warm. Now it just clung too her, cold and wet.
“Come on.” Dinah nudged Oliver’s shoulder and headed out of the room.
Oliver sighed and reluctantly stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute. Stay here and don’t stand up.” Her shoulders shook with each shiver but she managed to nod.
He emerged into the living to find the rest of the men still standing around. “Didn’t I tell you all to get out of here?”
“What about Chloe?” Bart nodded towards the back were Oliver had disappeared with her.
“She’s fine. I’ll get her back to the hotel.” He walked to the table he dropped his glasses on and snatched them up before turning around and heading towards his bedroom.
“We can get her back Oliver.” Dinah called after him.
“I said I’d take care of it.” He didn’t spare them another glance as he turned the corner and headed towards his closet. He probably shouldn’t have been so short with them, but Chloe’s injury on top of their other issues was making it impossible for him to relax.
Oliver stripped his leather’s off and thoroughly ran a towel over his body before pulling on something more comfortable. On his way back to his room he made one more stop in one of the bathrooms for an ace bandage. When he got back to his room he knocked lightly on the door.
“Come in.”
He turned the knob and opened the door to find her sitting exactly where he had left her, this time wearing a pair of loose fitting shorts and tank top. “You okay?”
“Yea.” Her eyes followed him as he walked towards her. “Where are the others?”
“I sent them back to the hotel.” He avoided her eyes and kneeled down in front of her. “Why don’t we wrap this up?”
Chloe only nodded and watched him. He didn’t have to send them back without her. She was more then capable of going with them. She forgot for a moment about his strange behavior when he lifted her leg and her ankle exploded with pain.
She didn’t make a noise but Oliver felt her leg jump under his hand. When he looked up she was cringing. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She forced herself to breathe. “It’s my fault anyway.”
“You did what you were supposed to do.” He began to carefully wrap her ankle. “You got what we needed and you did it under pressure. It was my job to get you in and out safely.”
“You can’t be held responsible for my inability to walk.” She joked but something told her he wasn’t in a joking mood.
“I could be held responsible for you almost getting shot.” He looked up at her and met her eyes. When she didn’t respond he went back to his work. Chloe wasn’t cut out for those types of situations; he shouldn’t have brought her there. What kind of caretaker was he?
“It isn’t your fault.” He stopped again and looked up to glare at her.
“Are you determined to argue with me even when I am willing to accept the blame?” When she shook her head he sighed and continued to wrap her ankle.
“What is it?” When he didn’t say anything she tried again. “Oliver, what is it?”
She couldn’t be that gullible to not know what was going on, and he couldn’t be that stupid to have thought it would just go away. “This isn’t going to work.”
“I don’t understand.”
He looked up at the soft tone of her voice and studied her face. She didn’t appear confused, only concerned. He sighed again and finished wrapping her foot. Gently he lowered her leg to the ground and looked back up at her. “You know what I mean, ignoring this isn’t going to work.”
“Then what do you want to do?” Her heart pounded in her chest at the look on his face. It was bothering him, she didn’t even know why. What happened two weeks ago had taken both of them by surprise. Oliver was a strong person, he was focused. Why was something that appeared to be a lapse in judgment getting to him? If anyone should have been walking away it should have been him. He could do it. Her on the other hand, she was an emotional mess.
“Chloe.” He laughed but there was no humor in his voice. “I don’t think that’s a question you want to ask.”
“I’m asking anyway.” He seemed to be studying her, the weight of his stare making her uncomfortable. Something was going through his head; she could almost see the wheels turning.
“Remember, you asked.” He pushed up off the floor and leaned over her, taking her lips as his.
She didn’t respond at first. Her first instinct was to reach out and grab his shoulder to steady herself as he pushed against her. The bed shifted as he rested his hand on either side of her and leaned in closer. The lust they had found themselves had struck at the worst time ever. They both had too much going on in their lives, and Chloe didn’t believe for a minute that Oliver had real feelings for her. But he felt good against her. His lips were demanding of her and she found herself opening to him.
It became quickly evident to him there would be no denying what ever was going on with him and Chloe. She was too much of a figment in his life for him to just get over her. There was no way to get around the fact that he wanted her, no matter how much it confused him.
So instead of fighting it Oliver just gave in. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up the bed. Her arm snaked around his neck, her hand burying in his hair. When he pressed a leg between hers she didn’t stop him and he was soon settled over her, nestled comfortably between her legs.
Chloe’s body betrayed her as she arched her hips up into him. One of his hands wrapped around her knee and pulled it up. She could take a hint. Chloe wrapped her leg around his waist and whimpered into his mouth at the increased pressure.
Oliver had been hoping she would stop him; in fact he had counted on her to stop his reckless behavior. But instead she only urged him on, making him want her more. He slid a hand up her side and under her shirt then stopped. His phone was ringing. Slowly he pulled his lips from her and met her eyes as it rang again. Only one person had that ring. He wished he’d had time to take her in, but instead he was jumping off the bed. “Fuck.”
“Oliver?” He was out the door though and running down the hall. A wave of embarrassment flooded through her and heated her cheeks. She pushed her shirt back down and quickly sat up.
At firsts she heard nothing, and just waited patiently. Then she heard footsteps as he came back down the hall and panic gripped her. What the hell were they thinking? He stopped in the doorway, cell phone to his ear and looked at her.
“I heard you were busy tonight.”
Oliver frowned. He hated people that could track his movements. “I don’t butt in on your affairs.”
“That isn’t what this is about.”
“Really?”
“How did you break into it? You’re good Oliver, but not that good.”
“Maybe I’m just better then you.” Chloe’s brow scrunched together in confusion but he wasn’t even going to dare try to speak to her with him on the phone.
“I’m asking because I think you could help me.”
“So now you’re asking me for help?” He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Well I’m not quite sure if I’ll be able to do that.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s complicated.”
“The technology in the computer is part alien. Nothing on this planet can break into it unless it’s alien. I need your help. You help me and I can help you.”
Oliver’s jaw tensed at the new information. Alien. He continued to stare at Chloe who just looked at him with innocent confusion.
“I need to get rid of this thing Oliver, it’s dangerous.”
“I’ll be at your house tomorrow night. Be there.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the end button. “Chloe, what was that computer?.”
“What?” She shook her head in confusion. “It was encrypted Oliver. Some odd language. I broke into it and downloaded the information and disabled it like you asked. I don’t know. Why?”
“It’s part alien.” He took a few steps forward and looked down on it. “No human should have been able to do that. How did you?”
“No.” She shook her head knowing what he was implying. “It isn’t like that.” She wished she could have stood up, not have him looking down on her like a bad child. “I can read it, like knowing a second language. Brainiac is gone. That’s over. But I still remember things. I can’t connect to computers like I did, but it’s like I know more, I understand them more.” By the look on his face she could tell he still didn’t believe her. “Look,” she sighed and looked around his room hoping something would jump out of her. “It’s like a memory Oliver. You took Spanish in school right? French, something. So maybe you were fluent in it at the time, you probably aced the class. But a few years later, when you weren’t in the class anymore you forgot some of it. Not all of it though. Do you understand?”
She was desperate for him to believe her, he could tell. “You swear. Nothing is going on.”
“I swear.” But his eyes were still untrusting and she couldn’t take that. Not after all the people that she’d lost and what was currently happening between the two of them. “Please.” But his face was unwavering. Even when he kissed her he still distrusted her. “Oliver…” She sighed and looked away from him as she felt her eyes begin to water. She couldn’t take it. “Just-.” She shook her head again and tried to compose her thoughts. “Just take me back. I can’t deal with this right now.” His feet moved, but she refused to look up as he passed in front of her and sat on the bed.
She began to turn her head away from him, but there was no missing the tears in her eyes. “Chloe.” She stopped and stared strait ahead, listening. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to get you upset.” She wiped her eyes and nodded. Instead of rehashing the entire conversation he steered it elsewhere. “Someone has taken interest in your skills.” She took a deep breath then looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I have this friend you could say, who is having the same problem.”
“That’s who you were on the phone with.” He nodded and Chloe quickly tried to replay Oliver’s end of the conversation in her head. “What does he want?”
“I think he thinks that I’ve found some kind of key to break into it.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. But he asked me how I did it, not who did it.”
“And?”
“He asked me for help.”
“And you’re going?” He seemed uncomfortable at her question. “You want me to go with you.”
“I didn’t tell him anything. I wanted to make it your decision.”
“My ankle.” She looked down at her injury. She couldn’t even walk yet. There was no way she was going to be able to break in somewhere and disable a computer.
“Don’t worry about that. It’s up to you.”
“I’ll go. But this guy, he’s okay right. I mean nothing I need to worry about?”
He didn’t like the fact she was depending on him, it made him nervous. It bothered him that he could fail her at any moment, and it bothered him even more that he cared. “He’s fine. A little stuffy and uptight, but you don’t have anything to worry about.” Even at his reassurance she still looked slightly apprehensive. “I promise, I’m not going to let anything happen.”
Chloe nodded and smiled softly. “Thanks, I’m just a little wary of people when they take an interest in me.”
He’d taken an interest in her; it would probably be wise of her to be wary of him. “Why don’t you stay here tonight, I have a guest room.” He was sure to add the latter part before she panicked. “We’ll be leaving early in the morning, and considering your ankle I’d rather not move you much. I’ll have somebody bring by your belongings.”
“Thanks.” It was an awkward situation, but he was right. It would be easier if she stayed with him. Silence overcame them again and she found herself remembering how just moments ago he had pushed her onto the bed.
“This,” he waved his hand between them, “we’re going to have to talk about eventually, it’s not going away.” She nodded agreement. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
When he mentioned going to bed she hadn’t planned on him swooping her up into his arms. She released a startled yelp and threw her arms around his neck. “I’m not crippled.”
“You can’t walk on one leg, that’s crippled enough for me.” She released a frustrated sigh but relented and laid her cheek against his chest.
“Your home in Star City is a lot larger.” Chloe observed tiredly and yawned.
“Because I’m supposed to live here.” But he never stayed anywhere long enough to call home. Star City was where he was from, but he really couldn’t call it home. Oliver stopped at the closest guest room and awkwardly turned the knob and opened the door to the room. “Lights.”
Chloe looked around with raised eyebrows when the lights came on. “That was cool.”
“Money gives me a reason to be lazy once in a while.” He stopped at the bed and gently settled her on it. He reached for the covers and started to pull them back when she wrapped her hand around his wrist.
“Oliver,” she smiled up at him, “I can do it.”
He stopped and stood up. “I’ll wake you in the morning and have your stuff brought over to the airport. You’ll have time to shower on the jet.” She nodded and just stared up at him. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He began to turn away from her but the sound of her voice called me him back.
“Where are we going?”
“Gotham City.” Her shoulders slumped and her head fell forward. Oliver couldn’t help but smirk. “It isn’t one of my most favorite vacationing spots either.”
“If it’s cold and wet here can you imagine what the weather will be like there?”
“I promise, for the next mission I’ll find you a beach.” She grinned up at him, and he couldn’t resist. He leaned over, cradling her cheek in his hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. It only lasted a few short second and then he pulled away. “Get some sleep. You’ll be flying again tomorrow.”
He had already turned away from her and was heading to the door when she called out to him. “Goodnight Oliver.”
Oliver stopped and turned to her and fought against the urge to walk back over to her. At some point she had become dangerous to him and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out when or why. “Goodnight Chloe.”