Bird Huntin Season 1/1
Title: Bird Hunting Season 1/1
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Summary: Chloe had traded herself for Oliver, to save the world...and that tramp was going to come in swinging her hips and batting her eyelashes, laying concerned hands on Oliver? Not on her watch.
Notes: This is set before Chloe comes back in Season 10.
Tess stepped into Watchtower, startled at the site before her. It wasn’t Oliver’s presence that shocked her. In fact his presence there was common, sometimes. There were times he showed up at Watchtower every day, for hours and days in a row, then he would be gone again, not to step through the doors until absolutely necessary. Then just like that he would be back again. Tess didn’t ask, she got it, in a way. Some part of him didn’t want to be there, yet he couldn’t walk away from it. Since the Talon blew up, Tess suspected it was almost like a security blanket to him, the one thing that was evidence.
No, it wasn’t Oliver’s presence that surprised her, it was Dinah Lance, sitting next to Oliver on the sofa, her hand resting on his forearm. Body language was everything, and Tess never missed a detail. He sat, facing strait ahead, elbows on his knees, hands grasped, looking at what appeared to be nothing. Dinah though, her body was turned into him, knees touching his legs, one hand resting on his forearm as she leaned to face in.
“Hey,” Oliver said suddenly, standing abruptly.
“Sorry, I got held up,” Tess responded, looking from Oliver to Dinah. The shrill sound of a cell broke the silence. Saved by the bell. Tess watched Oliver grab his cell and excuse himself, walking out of the double door and leaving Tess alone with the other woman. Moving across the floor, Tess watched her from the corner of her eye. Slowly Dinah stood, not uncomfortable in the least, and made her way towards the doors. Eyes narrow only slightly, Tess dropped her purse on the table and turned. “You have feelings for him don’t you?” At her question, Dinah stop and turned. “Feel free to deny it, but I always did find it was the little things that count, and I’m very perceptive.” For a moment Tess wondered if Dinah would back down, make her exit without a response. Then her eyes hardened and Tess knew she was in for a fight.
“We’re friends and you’re mistaken,” Dinah said firmly, her back straightening slightly.
“No, I’ve seen a lot of woman swoon when it comes to Oliver. I’m pretty sure I can recognize the signs. So then question is are you just lying to me, or are you lying to yourself?”
“Just because you can’t have him back doesn’t give you the right to assume everyone else wants him.”
“My past relationship with Oliver has nothing to do with this. How about we talk that your act of consoling him is just that, an act.”
Slowly, Dinah closed the distance between them, unable to back down from Tess’ accusations. “Like I told you...we are friends.”
“A friendship you’ve reached out more for within the past couple of months I noticed. E-mails, phone calls, texts.” Tess said with a smirk. “I’m sure friendship was exactly what you had in mind.”
“Who do you think you are?” Dinah bit out angrily. “Do you think Oliver would like it if he knew you were monitoring his every move?”
“Trust me Canary, I have no doubt that Oliver has been monitoring mine, his trust in me only goes so deep.”
“Do you really want to play this game with me?” Dinah asked as she stepped forward again. “You won’t win.”
“And I don’t respond to threats. Stay away from Oliver.”
Dinah laughed, crossing her arms and staring at Tess with amusement. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got? You’re warning me away from Oliver. He’s a grown man, he can make his own decisions.”
“Trust me, you don’t know my best Dinah, and you don’t want to see it,” Tess said evenly. Slowly, with each warning and threat the woman before her revealed more and more about what was really going on in that head of hers.
“Now who is making threats. You want to talk about staying away from Oliver? How did he feel about you coming in and making yourself at home? You said yourself he doesn’t trust you. Now all of a sudden I’m going to assume you have his best interest in mind? Give me a break. Clark may have faith in you, but the rest of us don’t.”
It was something that Tess had already suspected. At the moment there was nothing she could do about that fact. What she could do was handle Dinah. “How about we stop playing games and turning this around on me. Instead let’s talk about the fact that you’ve been circling around Oliver for months, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.”
Raising her head, Dinah cocked one eyebrow haughtily and shrugged. “So? What are you going to do about it? Stop me?”
Slowly, Tess could feel the reigns on her control slipping away. “There aren’t many people I owe my life to. One of them is Clark, and I’m doing my best to make sure I’m worthy of him saving my it.” Tess paused, wanting the words to sink in before she continued. “The other isn’t here, but I’ll pay that debt back anyway possible, even if that means keeping your claws out of Oliver.”
“Really?” Dinah said and looked at Tess suspiciously. “This isn’t so much about Oliver is it? This is about a missing blond.”
Mentally, Tess reigned herself in, because it was taking every amount of will power not to wipe the smug look off of the woman’s face. Sure, Tess didn’t run around in fishnets and leather at night fighting crime, but it didn’t mean she didn’t know how to beat the shit out of someone. You didn’t graduate from the likes of Checkmate and that creepy ass Granny Goodness without taking something away from it. “It is about both. I owe it to both of them, I owe nothing to you.”
“So it would appear. There adults. If Chloe Sullivan needed to have her territory marked she should have done it herself. And if Oliver is so fickle as to move on to another woman so quickly maybe he didn’t care about her in the first place.”
Anger flared within Tess, and she couldn’t really put a finger on why she was so upset. Sure Oliver was important to her. They had a sordid past, and for a long time she knew she still loved him, and maybe a small part of her regretted that it didn’t work out. Chloe for the longest time had been her enemy, and then they turned into allies, with a strange sort of respect for one another...and then to having an odd sort of understanding with each other. In some way, Tess felt like Chloe might have just been just as twisted as she was, willing to take that dangerous step to succeed, yet somehow just holding back. Then she sacrificed herself to save Oliver...a man that not many could compare to in Tess’ eyes. How could Tess not respect Chloe? She made Oliver happy, really happy, something Tess had always wanted to do and been unable to. They were two people she held dear to her heart, for totally different reasons. Chloe had traded herself for Oliver, to save the world...and that tramp was going to come in swinging her hips and batting her eyelashes, laying concerned hands on Oliver? Not on her watch.
Taking a step closer Tess glared, for the first time, showing the hate and anger in her eyes. “You may be a part of this team, just like me, but trust me, you’re on the outside looking in. You know nothing of what happened, and I don’t believe anyone that is part of this team would like to hear how you really feel.” Tess noted the way Dinah’s eyes twitched and she knew she hit a nerve, obviously Dinah knew the rest of the team wouldn’t agree with her opinion of Chloe. “There are a few things I know without a doubt. Oliver loves Chloe, she saved his life. And being a woman who had known Oliver for the better part of a decade I can assure you that Chloe is the be all and end all for him. I have faith in his commitment to Chloe...but I won’t stand idly by and watch you attempt to take advantage of their situation.” There was a flush to Dinah’s cheek, anger showing in her face. Tess smirked and stepped forward again and whispered, “I may be playing Watchtower, but I’ve always been comfortable in negotiating the means in which I get things accomplished. Don’t fuck with me.”
Just as Dinah opened her mouth to speak, body almost radiating with anger, Oliver burst through the doors.
“Sorry, that took longer then expected.” Oliver stopped, halfway across the tower and looked between Tess and Dinah in confusion. “What up?”
“Nothing.” Tess said brighting with a smile. “Ready? I have some Luthorcorp business I’d like to catch up on first.” Out of the corner of her eye Tess watched Dinah, knowing at the mention of business outside the team she would have know reason to stick around.
“Yea sure.” Turning towards Dinah he nodded at her. “Anything else?”
“No.” Dinah snapped, back strait as a rod. Turning towards Tess, she glared at her once more, trying to convey all the things she still wanted to say in one look, and turned away from her, stopping at Oliver side. “I’ll be around for a couple of days if you want to get together,” she whispered softly.
Oliver blinked once, as if he was picking apart every word she had just said. “Yea maybe, I’ve got some important things to take care of at Luthorcorop, but I’ll give you a call if I’m free.”
Tess watched, a small smirk forming on her face as Dinah nodded at Oliver’s dismissal and left. In so many words he had already told her ‘I’ll call you, don’t call me’. Oliver Queen of all people knew how to deter a clingy woman.
As the doors shut behind Dinah, Oliver sighed. “Finally,” he whispered and then looked at Tess. “Anyway...what have you got?”
If somehow it would have been appropriate for that moment, Tess would have laughed...or perhaps cackled. Even she wasn’t going to assume to be a saint.
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Summary: Chloe had traded herself for Oliver, to save the world...and that tramp was going to come in swinging her hips and batting her eyelashes, laying concerned hands on Oliver? Not on her watch.
Notes: This is set before Chloe comes back in Season 10.
Tess stepped into Watchtower, startled at the site before her. It wasn’t Oliver’s presence that shocked her. In fact his presence there was common, sometimes. There were times he showed up at Watchtower every day, for hours and days in a row, then he would be gone again, not to step through the doors until absolutely necessary. Then just like that he would be back again. Tess didn’t ask, she got it, in a way. Some part of him didn’t want to be there, yet he couldn’t walk away from it. Since the Talon blew up, Tess suspected it was almost like a security blanket to him, the one thing that was evidence.
No, it wasn’t Oliver’s presence that surprised her, it was Dinah Lance, sitting next to Oliver on the sofa, her hand resting on his forearm. Body language was everything, and Tess never missed a detail. He sat, facing strait ahead, elbows on his knees, hands grasped, looking at what appeared to be nothing. Dinah though, her body was turned into him, knees touching his legs, one hand resting on his forearm as she leaned to face in.
“Hey,” Oliver said suddenly, standing abruptly.
“Sorry, I got held up,” Tess responded, looking from Oliver to Dinah. The shrill sound of a cell broke the silence. Saved by the bell. Tess watched Oliver grab his cell and excuse himself, walking out of the double door and leaving Tess alone with the other woman. Moving across the floor, Tess watched her from the corner of her eye. Slowly Dinah stood, not uncomfortable in the least, and made her way towards the doors. Eyes narrow only slightly, Tess dropped her purse on the table and turned. “You have feelings for him don’t you?” At her question, Dinah stop and turned. “Feel free to deny it, but I always did find it was the little things that count, and I’m very perceptive.” For a moment Tess wondered if Dinah would back down, make her exit without a response. Then her eyes hardened and Tess knew she was in for a fight.
“We’re friends and you’re mistaken,” Dinah said firmly, her back straightening slightly.
“No, I’ve seen a lot of woman swoon when it comes to Oliver. I’m pretty sure I can recognize the signs. So then question is are you just lying to me, or are you lying to yourself?”
“Just because you can’t have him back doesn’t give you the right to assume everyone else wants him.”
“My past relationship with Oliver has nothing to do with this. How about we talk that your act of consoling him is just that, an act.”
Slowly, Dinah closed the distance between them, unable to back down from Tess’ accusations. “Like I told you...we are friends.”
“A friendship you’ve reached out more for within the past couple of months I noticed. E-mails, phone calls, texts.” Tess said with a smirk. “I’m sure friendship was exactly what you had in mind.”
“Who do you think you are?” Dinah bit out angrily. “Do you think Oliver would like it if he knew you were monitoring his every move?”
“Trust me Canary, I have no doubt that Oliver has been monitoring mine, his trust in me only goes so deep.”
“Do you really want to play this game with me?” Dinah asked as she stepped forward again. “You won’t win.”
“And I don’t respond to threats. Stay away from Oliver.”
Dinah laughed, crossing her arms and staring at Tess with amusement. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got? You’re warning me away from Oliver. He’s a grown man, he can make his own decisions.”
“Trust me, you don’t know my best Dinah, and you don’t want to see it,” Tess said evenly. Slowly, with each warning and threat the woman before her revealed more and more about what was really going on in that head of hers.
“Now who is making threats. You want to talk about staying away from Oliver? How did he feel about you coming in and making yourself at home? You said yourself he doesn’t trust you. Now all of a sudden I’m going to assume you have his best interest in mind? Give me a break. Clark may have faith in you, but the rest of us don’t.”
It was something that Tess had already suspected. At the moment there was nothing she could do about that fact. What she could do was handle Dinah. “How about we stop playing games and turning this around on me. Instead let’s talk about the fact that you’ve been circling around Oliver for months, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.”
Raising her head, Dinah cocked one eyebrow haughtily and shrugged. “So? What are you going to do about it? Stop me?”
Slowly, Tess could feel the reigns on her control slipping away. “There aren’t many people I owe my life to. One of them is Clark, and I’m doing my best to make sure I’m worthy of him saving my it.” Tess paused, wanting the words to sink in before she continued. “The other isn’t here, but I’ll pay that debt back anyway possible, even if that means keeping your claws out of Oliver.”
“Really?” Dinah said and looked at Tess suspiciously. “This isn’t so much about Oliver is it? This is about a missing blond.”
Mentally, Tess reigned herself in, because it was taking every amount of will power not to wipe the smug look off of the woman’s face. Sure, Tess didn’t run around in fishnets and leather at night fighting crime, but it didn’t mean she didn’t know how to beat the shit out of someone. You didn’t graduate from the likes of Checkmate and that creepy ass Granny Goodness without taking something away from it. “It is about both. I owe it to both of them, I owe nothing to you.”
“So it would appear. There adults. If Chloe Sullivan needed to have her territory marked she should have done it herself. And if Oliver is so fickle as to move on to another woman so quickly maybe he didn’t care about her in the first place.”
Anger flared within Tess, and she couldn’t really put a finger on why she was so upset. Sure Oliver was important to her. They had a sordid past, and for a long time she knew she still loved him, and maybe a small part of her regretted that it didn’t work out. Chloe for the longest time had been her enemy, and then they turned into allies, with a strange sort of respect for one another...and then to having an odd sort of understanding with each other. In some way, Tess felt like Chloe might have just been just as twisted as she was, willing to take that dangerous step to succeed, yet somehow just holding back. Then she sacrificed herself to save Oliver...a man that not many could compare to in Tess’ eyes. How could Tess not respect Chloe? She made Oliver happy, really happy, something Tess had always wanted to do and been unable to. They were two people she held dear to her heart, for totally different reasons. Chloe had traded herself for Oliver, to save the world...and that tramp was going to come in swinging her hips and batting her eyelashes, laying concerned hands on Oliver? Not on her watch.
Taking a step closer Tess glared, for the first time, showing the hate and anger in her eyes. “You may be a part of this team, just like me, but trust me, you’re on the outside looking in. You know nothing of what happened, and I don’t believe anyone that is part of this team would like to hear how you really feel.” Tess noted the way Dinah’s eyes twitched and she knew she hit a nerve, obviously Dinah knew the rest of the team wouldn’t agree with her opinion of Chloe. “There are a few things I know without a doubt. Oliver loves Chloe, she saved his life. And being a woman who had known Oliver for the better part of a decade I can assure you that Chloe is the be all and end all for him. I have faith in his commitment to Chloe...but I won’t stand idly by and watch you attempt to take advantage of their situation.” There was a flush to Dinah’s cheek, anger showing in her face. Tess smirked and stepped forward again and whispered, “I may be playing Watchtower, but I’ve always been comfortable in negotiating the means in which I get things accomplished. Don’t fuck with me.”
Just as Dinah opened her mouth to speak, body almost radiating with anger, Oliver burst through the doors.
“Sorry, that took longer then expected.” Oliver stopped, halfway across the tower and looked between Tess and Dinah in confusion. “What up?”
“Nothing.” Tess said brighting with a smile. “Ready? I have some Luthorcorp business I’d like to catch up on first.” Out of the corner of her eye Tess watched Dinah, knowing at the mention of business outside the team she would have know reason to stick around.
“Yea sure.” Turning towards Dinah he nodded at her. “Anything else?”
“No.” Dinah snapped, back strait as a rod. Turning towards Tess, she glared at her once more, trying to convey all the things she still wanted to say in one look, and turned away from her, stopping at Oliver side. “I’ll be around for a couple of days if you want to get together,” she whispered softly.
Oliver blinked once, as if he was picking apart every word she had just said. “Yea maybe, I’ve got some important things to take care of at Luthorcorop, but I’ll give you a call if I’m free.”
Tess watched, a small smirk forming on her face as Dinah nodded at Oliver’s dismissal and left. In so many words he had already told her ‘I’ll call you, don’t call me’. Oliver Queen of all people knew how to deter a clingy woman.
As the doors shut behind Dinah, Oliver sighed. “Finally,” he whispered and then looked at Tess. “Anyway...what have you got?”
If somehow it would have been appropriate for that moment, Tess would have laughed...or perhaps cackled. Even she wasn’t going to assume to be a saint.