At the End of the Day 1/?
Title: At the End of the Day 1/?
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Eventually it is to much for her and she is falling apart. Luckily Oliver is there to pick up the pieces
Warning: Post Persuasion, Spoilers for Persuasion.
Notes: Thanks to Lucy for editing and coming up with the title. This will probably be three chapters. Chapter two should be up in a day or so and maybe chapter three by the end of the weekend or just after. Please review! I need the support. Of got so much stuff I'm trying to write right now I need some good reviews to give me a creative kick in the butt. And thanks to alltuesday for the great banner!
Oliver walked in to what was normally a quiet and orderly watchtower. That wasn't what he saw. Every monitor was either off, blinking, or showing the tell tale sign of being disconnected - black and white snow. It didn't take him long to notice that equipment was no longer in its rightful place. Wires were strewn across the floor, computer equipment pulled out into the center of the floor. Chloe wasn't even in her usual spot sitting behind her desk or standing at the main monitor with her perfectly styled hair, minimal make up, and smart outfit. Instead she was kneeling underneath a desk, barefoot in only a shorts and t-shirt, her hair unkempt and pushed behind her ears.
"When you said the shit hit the fan while I was gone you weren't kidding."
She turned her head to face him and frowned before turning back to what she was doing.
"I'd offer my help, but I'm sure you would consider it useless considering you e-mailed me with a warning of a very large tech support bill."
"I'm trying to do some of the work on my own. Taking down watchtower is a lot easier then putting it back together. I could probably do it, but I'd be wasting time. I think we're going to need help. I spoke with Victor, he's coming in tomorrow. But I think I'm still going to need an expert."
The word expert was said with a little disgust leading Oliver to suspect she didn't like the idea of someone doing something better and faster then her. "See what you can do with Victor, but set something up now to have someone come in. You only gave me the cliff notes version in a hasty e-mail sent by phone. What happened?"
"I didn't have a computer."
"Care to come out of your digital cave and give me the full version now? If not because you think I deserve to know, then at least because I am footing the bill." She growled and crawled out from underneath one of the desks. She grabbed her back as she stood and hissed. He was about to question her about it when she turned around and he finally got a good look at her face. He'd seen her in the morning, a couple of times. Make up worn off, hair mussed from sleeping. He'd even seen her once out of the shower, hair dripping wet, body glistening with water, face clean and bright. It wasn't the same as the woman in front of him. Her face was flushed in a similar fashion to the times he'd been with her, but he could tell it was from frustration and anger and perhaps something else entirely. Whatever makeup she had applied was wearing away, smudged around her eyes. There was the beginning of dark circles appearing there, even though he'd only been gone two days and she had been totally rested when he left. Her eyes were red and he began to wonder if it was from lack of sleep or something else. Then there was the most shocking. "Is that a bruise on your cheek?"
Chloe brought her hand up, touching the area she knew he was referring to. "Yes." His eyes narrowed slightly. "It isn't that big of a deal. I mean it is. But not like you think."
"Well then why don't we sit and you tell me." He held out his hand to the sofa and she stared at it, contemplating. Finally she sighed and walked over. Even her stature reflected her weariness. After he took a seat and she still remained silent, seeming to be studying the disarray before her, he prodded. "Why don't you start from the beginning. Weird kryptonite making people do things you said?"
"Clark got infected. The result was that anything he said or better yet wished would happen. The first time was Lois. He made an off handed comment about their relationship. I don't know what, but then the next thing he knew she was quitting her job at the Planet and moving in with him, donning an apron and everything. It looked like she stepped straight out of a black and white TV."
"Really?" Oliver raised his eyebrows, forgetting about the mess surrounding them and trying to picture what she described.
"Yeah, that was where the funny stopped," Chloe said with a frown. "I gave Clark the new identities for the Kandorians. We argued about it, and he responded by wishing that I would look out for him more." She tapped her fingers on her knee nervously as she recalled her actions.
"So you pulled the plug?" He asked in confusion.
"Yeah. I mean it was like....being obsessed. This stuff didn't matter." Chloe held her hand out referring to the tower. "If it didn't pertain to helping Clark then it was gone. And whatever I didn't need I was sure to either wipe or put up so many damn firewalls it would take a miracle for another person to crack. It was like I set off a digital bomb. It isn't pretty." Chloe looked around at her equipment, the place that had become her life, and sighed. With a shake of her head she continued. "I went to the farm and tried to get Lois out; she was a distraction I felt at that time. It wasn't pretty. After almost trying to physically remove her, she took off crying. I-" She stopped, searching his eyes, hoping for some understanding. "I said some things that weren't nice." He didn't seem affected by her revelation, and she suspected he was trying to keep his reactions neutral for the time being. "From there I tried to hack into Tess' computers. Get what I need from her about the Kandorians. She caught me and tried to make a deal with me, telling me she believed Clark to be the leader of the Kandorians."
"Wait," he shook his head, forgetting about his shock at what happened with Lois, "she tried to make a deal with you?"
"Yeah, I don't know. I don't know if she's become disillusioned with Zod or maybe this was always her plan, but she seemed to think we could help each other." And if Chloe hadn't been so obsessed with protecting Clark she probably would have held out a little bit longer to try to figure out Tess' angle. "So I hit her."
"You hit her?" he asked slowly, trying to be sure he understood correctly. That didn't sound like the woman in front of him. Sure she was capable enough, not a push over, but she was more behind the scenes type, and even Tess could give Oliver a run for his money.
"Yeah," she admitted softly, biting the inside of her cheek. "With a gun." This time he did show his surprise. "And I probably would have shot her too if she hadn't kicked the gun out of my hand."
He lifted his hand, for the first time reacting in a way that was more appropriate for their current situation, and cupped her cheek. She blinked quickly and looked down at his hand, obviously uncomfortable. He didn't pay her any mind though as he gently tilted her head to the side to survey the damage. "Your cheek?"
"She packs a mean kick," Chloe admitted with seriousness.
"And then what happened? I can't imagine that was it."
"No, we went after the gun, went through a table. Pretty sure she punched me. Pushed her into the wall and broke a light with her head. All in a days work."
She smiled at her joke, but he could see the lack of humor behind it. Dropping his hand from her cheek he wondered where else she was bruised. When she was through he was going to ask.
"Anyway, she got the gun, and I'm pretty sure she was all ready to kill me until Clark came through. Turned out he'd ben affected by the kryptonite too. Zod told him that Tess killed Jor-El. Clark was about to kill her until I used green kryptonite on him, freeing him of all the wishing effects." Chloe shrugged and stood up, and made her way back towards were she left her work. "Turns out it wasn't Tess though. That murdering bitch Alia did it. Zod, for some reason, took this as a betrayal and put a bullet in her head."
"She's dead?" he asked in slight shock, remembering all Chloe's future that they had learned from Clark.
"Yeah." Chloe knelt down and winced at the pain in her back. "So I guess some things are changing."
"And the towers?"
"Not sure. I mean Clark destroyed them. I don't know if it was the impending operation of them, or the fact that he realized the future was finally changing, but he did it. So I suppos we've bought ourselves more time at least."
He watched her crawl on the ground and start working again. For a while that's all he did, watch her in silence. "Come here." She stopped, turning her head, seeming to be confused by his sudden order. Standing he walked over to her. "Stand up Chloe." Slowly she did, probably to confused to even say no. "Turn around."
"Wha-" But he was already grabbing her arm and turning her until her back was facing him. It wasn't until she felt his hands at her shirt that she reacted and tried to pull away. "Oliver, what-"
"I want to see." He grabbed her hip to still her. When she didn't move he lifted her shirt up to her shoulders. As he suspected she was bruised. The lower right half of her back almost black. What he hadn't expected was gauze taped below her shoulder blad. "What's this?"
She felt him brush over the wound and sighed. "That table that Tess and I went through. Well it tried to go through me. I had to get Emil to bandage me up."
He frowned in response to her words. Seeing the physical damage he could only guess how the rest of her body felt. "Chloe, you need to take it easy for a few days."
"Take it easy?" Chloe pulled away and looked at him in shock. "Are you serious? You see this mess. I screwed this up. I need to fix this. Plus I can't afford to just lay around, what if something happens, what if-"
"Then we'll call someone now. Victor will be here tomorrow. You aren't going to have all this stuff done by tonight anyway. So even if something does happen tonight, it doesn't matter." She shook her head and turned away from him, intent on turning back to her work. "Chloe," he grabbed her wrist, "I said no."
"So what!?" Chloe yelled and spun around on him, yanking her wrist from his loose grip. "I need to fix this! I don't have time to just sit around waiting to feel better! Why can't you understand that?! I just-" She stopped as she felt her voice thicken with emotion. As it all started to catch up with her again, she shook her head and turned away. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her upset.
He heard her voice crack, saw the tears forming. This time when he grabbed her wrist he did it with the intention of holding onto it. When he pulled her around he could see her eyes tearing. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She wiped her eyes angrily. "Just drop it. Let me do what I need to do."
He knew what she was trying to do. He got it. She wanted to bury herself in work so she could forget what was bothering her. It's what she always did. It was one of the reasons he had tried so hard to get her to loosen up. "Don't tell me nothing. I'm not letting you do anything until you tell me what happened."
She ground her teeth together in anger, yet still couldn't stop the tears. "Are you serious!? Look what I did!" She threw out her free hand referring to the mess. "I made my cousin cry, tried to kill Tess, almost got myself killed, and in the process got the shit kicked out of me! Not to mention the fact that Clark is the biggest ass I've ever met!" She snapped her mouth shut at the last comment that slipped from her mouth, hoping he wouldn't make more of it.
"What happened with the tower, Lois, and Tess wasn't your fault, and you know that. As for what happened with Tess I know better than most how slightly homicidal she is. And in a couple of weeks you'll be as good as new. No one is permanently hurt." Her tears had stopped, but her cheeks were still wet in their wake and her eyes watery. "And Clark?"
"Nothing," she said quickly and shook her head.
"You said it. What's the problem with Clark?" She kept her mouth shut tight though, refusing to say anything. "You do what you need to do to help him, but it doesn't make him always right. And contrary to what Clark said you don't always have to watch his back." He stepped forward hesitantly, knowing how uncomfortable she might get. "So tell me."
She turned her face away, blinking quickly, trying to fight the tears that were starting again, but it was pointless. "He just-" The tears were obvious in her voice and she hated it. She didn't want him to know how hurt she could be, she didn't want him to see her so broken. "It feels like he doesn't care. Ever since..." She couldn't bring up Jimmy's death. "He just hasn't been there. And I'm there, even when I don't agree. I don't expect much. I know better than anyone that he has responsibilities, but some concern would be nice. After all I've-" she cried and shook her head angrily. "After all I've done for him, lost, given up he has the nerve to tell me that he needed me to concentrate more on watching his back?!"
She looked at him for a moment longer, eyes wide with the pain and anger that filled her words, and then looked away. For a time he was shocked into silence. Chloe was prone to outbursts. In fact she regularly told him exactly what he needed to do differently, but not necessarily such emotional ones. "We've all changed," he admitted, but quickly continued. "But I'm not sure why he has been like that Chloe. Have you tried talking to him?" She snorted at his question. "Is that a no?"
"I'm not talking to him about this. It doesn't matter."
Even through her hurt he could see her anger and resolve. Instead of pushing it and trying to reason with her he pulled at her wrist and stepped forward. She came willingly to his surprise and when he wrapped his free arm around her waist she allowed him to pull her against him. "I'm not going to try to talk you out of it and make you do something you don't want to. So if you don't want to talk to him that's fine. But don't let him make you think you aren't doing enough." He brought his hand up and cradled the back of her head so he could pull it against his chest. After placing a chaste kiss to her hair he tilted her head back and forced her to look at him. "And you don't have to hide it from me. Okay?" She nodded up at him teary eyed. "But I am going to make you stop working." She sighed and opened her mouth, but he shook his head. "That is non negotiable."
When he led her away she didn't fight him, even though everything in her told her to. And when he pushed open the door and ushered her to the bed she sat down with her shoulders slumped, hands resting in her lap. It wasn't until she sat that she felt the fatigue hit her and she found she didn't even have the energy to move again.
For a moment he just watched her, considering his next move. "Do you want me to stay?" She glanced up at him silently, seeming to think it over for a moment.
"It's up to you," she responded offhandedly and looked away again.
Which meant yes. When it came to the change in the category of their relationship when Chloe said no, well it was no. When she said maybe it was because she wanted to say yes, but she wasn't going to admit to it. It had taken him a short time to catch on, but eventually he just played along with her instead of trying to fight her for an honest response. Instead of saying anything he kicked off his shoes. She seemed to take the hint and laid on her side, pulling her knees up close to her chest. Her eyes were open, but she didn't appear to be looking at him, not even as he stripped off the rest of his clothing leaving him in only boxer briefs.
Chloe closed her eyes as she felt the bed move underneath him. The covers slid over her, shielding her from the cool air. And as his body slid behind hers and his arm draped over her waist she couldn't help a shaky sigh of relief. She had wanted him to stay too badly to admit and she couldn't help but be grateful that he must have realized that.
She arched slightly into him, and then remained still. Slowly, he slid a hand up her shirt, resting it just below her breasts on her ribs and settling his thumb on the inside of one satin covered breast. Under normal circumstances he would have preferred her sans the clothes, but at that moment he'd have to settle for the minimal physical contact.
It wasn't long before her sore body relaxed against him and sleep started to take her. "You didn't have to stay," she mumbled softly as she realized the oddity of the situation they had found themselves in. When he was in her bed or she in his it wasn't to sleep. They never slept unless it was after. Yet here he was, laying with her, just holding her.
"Yes I did; someone has to take care of you." Oliver rarely considered something a sure thing. He knew things could change at any second, but he'd seen what she would do for him, and he knew for sure that if he ever fell she would be there picking him up and dusting him off. Not only did she not have someone to do that for her, and not only did he owe it to her, but he wanted to be the one to do it.
She sighed contently, allowing herself a moment to take some satisfaction in his words and pretend that there was nothing wrong with them just sleeping, with the caring in his voice. As she drifted off to sleep the last thing she noticed was him pressing a kiss against her neck.