The Abandoned Hero 4/?
Title: The Abandoned Hero 4/?
Rating: NC-17 (later)
Summary: Takes place after Season 7. Oliver gets Chloe released from prison and presents her with a proposal. Reluctantly, she must accept. Little does she know of Oliver's other intentions.
Notes: Sorry this took so long. I've been having plot issues lately. But I think I may have it worked out now. So I hope you enjoy. Also, I want to thank gen717
for this great banner and also for listening to me run off my ideas. I probably couldn't have written this if she hadn't listened to me talk like a crazy personn.
Chloe exited her building to find a long stretch limo waiting outside for her. Standing at the open door was one of Oliver’s drivers.
“Ms. Sullivan. Mr. Queen asked that I drive you to work this morning.”
Chloe groaned. It wasn’t often, but every once in a while Oliver would hear something or just get paranoid in general and would insist on having his personnel driver usher her around the city. The first time she protested but after he called her, panicked, and yelling, she had relented. She knew enough by now that she wouldn’t argue with Oliver under those situations. “Okay.” But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t call him and insist to know what was going on. He could at least call and give her some warning. Instead, he just made decisions without consulting with her or at least alerting her.
Once she was situated in the limo she retrieved her cell phone. Oliver had become the first number on her speed dial months ago. Of course when he gave her the phone it had already been programmed in. She’d had her own cell phone but he had insisted on equipping her with a new model that he had made adjustments to. He hadn’t gone into detail about what he had done, only assured her that no one would be able to track her phone calls.
“Hello?”
“What’s going on now?”
“I don’t know.”
He sighed and Chloe’s heart clenched for him. He had become more and more troubled over the past few months. When she would question him about it he’d just brush it off. There was nothing that would make her believe he was hiding something but she still felt there was something bothering him that he wouldn’t tell her. “You must know something if I am getting a ride to work.”
“A little. Don’t worry about it. If it was a problem you wouldn’t be driven to work.”
To her relief that had yet to happen. They had come up with a plan as to where she would go if there was trouble. Luckily, the plan had never been put into action. “Well maybe you should tell me what is going on.” A long pause. He was always so secretive. “Oliver, come on. Look I’ll come over tonight and cook you dinner. I know you haven’t been eating well lately.”
“Chloe…”
“Come on. I’ll cook you dinner, and you can tell me what is bothering you.” Another pause.
“Okay. I’ll have you picked up after work.”
When they hung up she shook her head. While she was grateful and a little flattered at how protective he had become of her she did feel a little suffocated. What also bothered her is the change that had overcome Oliver. As depressed as she had been in the beginning she had improved over the past few months. In fact, she had grown accustomed to her life there. Besides missing her friends she rather liked it there. He on the other hand only seemed to get worse. Sirens drew her attention and she rolled down the window between her and the driver. “What’s going on?”
“We’re being redirected by the police. It appears there is an accident a few streets up.”
Chloe frowned and looked at her watch. No offense to Oliver’s driver, but a cab would have been a lot faster. An accident wasn’t exactly a good enough excuse for being late. With a groan she slumped down in the seat. “Great.” A blare of sire’s and then the squeak of breaks resulted in Chloe flying forward. “What the hell!” The door opened, daylight flooded the dark limo, and a gun was pointed at her face.
“Ms. Sullivan, if you would please exit the vehicle.”
The man pointing the gun at her looked like a police officer but Chloe had a feeling it was only a costume. Would Oliver know she was in danger? Probably not. How could he? So with raised hands she exited the vehicle. Another limo stood parked blocking her with three other men dressed as police officers, guns at the ready. Oliver’s driver stood by his door, hands behind his head. There was no way they could have been under arrest. The door to the other limo opened and all the fear she had felt drained and was replaced by anger and disgust. “Lex.”
“You know, you don’t stay hidden very well.” Lex walked towards her and stopped a few feet away.
“I wasn’t trying to stay hidden.” She tried to remain impassive but it was difficult being faced with the man she hated more than anything.
“I was surprised when I learned that Oliver had somehow sprung you out of federal prison. But imagine how I felt when I learned that he took you to Star City, found you a job, paid for a place for you to say, and even has his personnel driver chauffer you around.” Lex narrowed his eyes at her somehow expecting too see something on her face that would give something away. “Either Oliver decided to take in a mistress or there is something going on here.”
“You’re right Lex. Oliver’s pays my way and I give him the time of his life from sun up to sun down and in-between. Jealous?” She never did have the sense needed when dealing with Lex.
“I’d believe it if I didn’t suspect you have the experience of a child.” Her cheeks grew pink at his comment and he smiled. “Plus, I’ve been watching you. Nothing I have seen has led me to believe you are nothing more than friends. So what is really going on?”
He had to know that she, Oliver, Lois, Clark, and everyone else would always be working together to stop him. So why was he asking her that now? “We don’t like you, you know that.”
Her comment should have angered him but it didn’t. He had long been aware of the fact they were working against him. “Oh I know that. I want to know what that has to do with you? I mean, why are you so important to Oliver that he’s gone through all this trouble?”
His questions were troubling. Not because it was Lex questioning why she was there but because she hadn’t. There had been no reasons for Oliver to go through quite so much trouble. Then when she put that together with his change in attitude she knew something was going on.”
“I’ll find out.” He assured her. With a wave to the three men Lex retreated to his limo. The three pretend cops hopped on their bikes and sped off, leaving Chloe and Oliver’s driver alone. “Take me to Oliver, now.”
“Where is he!!”
Oliver looked up from his desk then to his door. The voice was familiar but the pitch wasn’t. He could hear his assistant trying to placate Chloe and convince her that he was busy.
“To busy for me?!”
He almost grinned at her perceived importance. Of course the way he had been catering to her recently would only support that. Before she could draw to much attention to herself he was at the door and had it opened. “It’s alright. Ms. Sullivan and I had an appointment. I forgot to tell you.” His assistant seemed a little flabbergasted but nodded. “Could you reschedule my next appointment?” Oliver stepped out of the way and Chloe brushed past him, a haughty expression on her face. Once the door was closed he turned to her. “Chloe, I don’t think this-.”
“I was just confronted by Lex.”
“What?” He shook his head and blinked. “How? I just had my driver pick you up?”
“That didn’t stop Lex from outfitting thee thugs in police uniforms to divert your driver into an alley where he preceded to insist we were up to something. That’s on top of him admitting to watching me. Is that why you were worried.” When he nodded Chloe could only frown. He should have told her that before now. Chloe looked around and found a small refrigerator. “You could at least offer me something to drink.”
Oliver nodded and headed towards the mini fridge. She accepted the bottle of water he handed to her and took a seat on his sofa.
After taking a drink from the bottle she focused again on Oliver “What is going on Oliver?”
Gone was the angry woman in front of him and he instead found himself looking into her concerned eyes. “I can handle it.”
He moved to walk past her but she grabbed his hand and gave his hand a gentle pull.
Oliver allowed himself to be pulled down next to her onto the sofa. The last thing he needed was a heart to heart. “What Chloe?”
There was something tired in his face. It had been getting worse. “Besides Lex being crazy and stalking us, something is going on with you. I can see it. It’s like you are a totally different person. I haven’t known you that long Oliver, but I know something is weighing you down.” He just looked at her and she would swear that he wanted to tell her but something was stopping him. “Oliver.” Chloe reached out and grabbed his hand again. His eyes flickered to their joined hands then back to her. The silence between them was almost painful. Finally, he pulled away, his fingertips trailing against her palm all the way to her fingertips, and then they parted.
“Look, go to work. Let me deal with Lex.” Oliver told her. Her invitation to reveal everything was tempting. Her hand on his and her gentle pleading eyes almost undid him. He was so close to breaking lately that if she had pushed further he might have.
“Oliver…” But he was already up and moving.
“Go to work Chloe. I’ll take care of Lex.” It would mean knocking out of couple of appointments for the day, but there was no way he was just going to roll over.
“To late for work. I already called in sick. So what are we doing?” When he turned back to her that pained looked was gone and replaced by one she recognized. Oliver was about to go into full super hero mode.
“Find out where Lex is. We know he has a couple of townhouses and a few businesses out here. Where is he now?” When she didn’t move he waved his hand to his computer. “Some time today side kick.”
“Right.” Chloe moved quickly and took a seat behind his desk. He was soon leaning over behind her, his usual position when she was on the computer. “So we are still on for dinner right?” She wouldn’t let him weasel out of it. When he didn’t say anything she glanced up at him. “Right?”
He should never have said yes. It had become so much harder hiding it from her as the days passed and she became a more significant part of his life. It also made his task even more miserable. Especially, when she was looking up at him with her bright eyes and soft smile. Seeing that endearing look directed at him left him with feelings that almost made him choke. It was becoming too hard.
“Ollie?” Chloe questioned softly. She could see him sinking back into that unknown place.
It hadn’t taken much but her concerned voice calling out to him to draw him back. “Yea, we’re still on.”