Smallville 1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I think I might be a little out-of-character for both Chloe and Oliver in this story, but I guess that's the beauty of alternate universes. I'm so grateful for this now… while it's not the happiest fic, it gives me much-needed relief from the angst/drama._

**Disclaimer: **No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing. Everything belongs to their respective owners.

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**Take a Chance  
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**Chapter 1**

Upon entering the house I breathed a sigh of relief as the rain started pouring. My car was breaking down as it was; there was no way I would be able to push it towards the Kent farm by myself after a long day at the Daily Planet.

I had the place to myself as Clark and Lois were taking their first vacation as a couple. It took me locking them in the same room for them to finally admit their feelings for each other, but it was worth it. When they decided to take a vacation, I realized that I hadn't taken time off in a long time, so I told Clark that I would take care of Shelby and relax at the farm.

Of course, the fact we took our vacation at the same time left the Planet slightly understaffed, which was risky considering the upcoming merger with Queen Industries, but we figured it would make Tess Mercer realize that she wouldn't have a paper without us.

Shelby walked towards me. "Hey, you want to watch the rain?" I petted the Kent family dog and turned my head towards the window when I realized there was someone at the front door.

As I approached the front door, I jokingly said, "Not the best idea to go for a walk, don't you think?"

I opened the door to realize my guest was none other than Oliver Queen. What would a billionaire playboy CEO want at the Kent farm? Or in Smallville for that matter? According to the rumour mill, he was in Metropolis to announce the resulting layoffs from the merger in a press conference later this week. However, Metropolis is two hours away from here, and private jets don't exactly fly to Smallville.

He flashed his signature grin and asked. "Could you push my car in the driveway?"

I raised my eyebrows in shock. "Excuse me?"

"I was..."

"I know what you said. You expect _me_ to push your car?"

"Do you expect me to push it?"

I sighed before slamming the door in his face. Sure, my hair was a little wet from the rain, and I may not be dressed for a black-tie event, but I wasn't anybody's servant.

While I had hoped he would take off to the next farm, it didn't surprise me when I looked out the front window a few minutes later and saw him on the front porch. I wondered for a moment if he could sue me because I let him freeze. The guy probably hadn't experienced real weather conditions since he was stranded on an island, and while I hoped that would have taught him some humility, apparently I was wrong.

Sadly though, part of me felt bad for him. It's not like there was a nearby hotel that he could stay at. I grabbed my rain coat and a poncho and walked outside. As much as it pained me to do this, I was going to help him out.

I turned to him as I closed the door. "I don't know what you had expected from me, but if we worked together, we might be able to get your car through the gate." I threw him the poncho. "It's not Armani, but it'll do."

He stared at me quizzically and fumbled with the poncho.

I rolled my eyes. "You've seriously never worn a poncho? Consider it like an extra-large shirt."

Fortunately, his car wasn't far from the gate, so we didn't have to push it far. Once we got it a couple yards off the road, he backed off from the car and shrugged. At that point, I made a mad dash for the door with him not too far behind me.

As we walked in the front door, I asked. "So Mr. Queen, what brings you to Smallville?"

"Ah, you do know me."

I faced him as I hung up my raincoat. "Despite what they teach you at Excelsior, charm doesn't always get what you want."

He chuckled. "Really? I think I'm doing pretty well."

"Believe me, if it wasn't raining, I'd let you starve in your car. Try to dry off; I'm going to have a shower." I walked past him to go upstairs, but I stopped on a dime and pointed at him. "No ideas, or else I will kick you out of here."

He just smiled and silently walked past the staircase.

I couldn't help but look over my shoulder the entire time I was in the shower. I didn't trust him. However, there was still once facet of Oliver Queen that was a gentleman because I didn't hear or see anything. I thought about walking out in a bathrobe to allow him to shower sooner, but I thought that would be pushing the little faith I had in him, so I changed into some dry clothes.

When I reached the last step, I said. "If you want a shower, it's upstairs. I left a towel for you on the...What are you doing?"

He dismounted from his hand stand and turned to face me. "Yoga relaxes me."

"Not that. The..." I pointed to his bare chest. "That!"

"You said to try and dry off. My shirt was wet." He then pointed to his shirt which was laid over a kitchen chair.

Light a fire, put on a sweater, make a hot drink, any of these are viable options. But no, he has to take _off _his shirt and do yoga in the middle of the Kent's living room.

I walked over to his bag and unzipped it slightly to grab a shirt. I tossed it at him and smirked. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

As he put on his shirt, the lights started to flicker and then the power went out.

Great, I thought. This was supposed to be my vacation, now I'm stuck inside with a stuck-up billionaire who clearly wishes that I was easy. I'm not going to get a wink of sleep tonight.

He grabbed his cell phone from the table and started fiddling with it, trying to get reception.

"Yeah, we're not getting reception with this kind of rain." Not that we got clear reception at the Kent farm without rain.

"Thought I would try."

"Okay, the couch is yours. I'm going upstairs to bed. What I said for the shower goes double while I'm sleeping."

"Good night... I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it."

"Well, care to enlighten me?"

"Why bother when you probably won't remember it in the morning? That's usually how it works with you isn't it?"

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"For one, you expected me to push your car when we barely got it inside the gate between the two of us. It infuriates me that you're burying your parent's legacy because you're too busy gallivanting with booze and floozies, yet the papers still paint you as the prince of society with your regal name and trust fund. Now, your merger with Luthorcorp will result in hundreds of layoffs to people you probably couldn't care less about." I paused for a moment to catch my breath and then dialled up the sarcasm. "You're just... loveable."

He laughed as he flopped down on the couch. "You need to get out more often; I think you've spent too much time reading my life."

Believe me, if it wasn't part of my job, I wouldn't waste a second of my life researching his. "I go out."

"With other people?"

"What makes you think that I don't have friends?"

"The fact that there isn't a single picture of you in this house."

You actually took the time to look around before doing half-naked yoga? Right. "That's not true, there's one of Clark and I right..." I walked over to the fireplace where there used to be a picture of us while we were still in high school, but he was right. Instead of that photo, there was a picture of Clark and Lois at the Planet. "Well... it used to be here."

He caught me off guard when he reached around me to grab the photo. "Who's she?"

"My cousin."

Placing the photo back, he said, "Ouch, must be tough being replaced by family."

"She's his girlfriend too, and I'm not being replaced, I'm..." As I turned to face him, I realized how close he was because I almost hit his chest with my head. At least he was still wearing the shirt — otherwise, that would have been awkward. I walked around him and tried again to reach the staircase. "Different priorities, that's all. People change."

"Which explains why there are no pictures of you and multiple pictures of her. Yet, you still defend him." He shook his head as his mouth held a mischievous grin. "Isn't it girl-code to not have interest in the same guy?"

This guy was starting to piss me off. "Clark is my best friend! It's been that way for years." Just because I wanted more at one time didn't mean that our friendship was anything else. "Besides, my relationship with Clark is none of your business."

"Relationship?"

"Oh, come on, you know what I mean."

"Whatever you say, Sidekick."

"What did you just call me?"

His grin widened as he responded, "What...Sidekick?"

"I'm no one's sidekick." Sure that was a lie, but he had no right to call me that.

"You're... what his name again?"

"Clark."

He could clearly tell that he was getting to me. "Yes... _Clark's_ sidekick. You're house-sitting, aren't you? You take care of his life while he's probably out gallivanting with Lois. It's cute actually."

I said with conviction, "I'm his friend." Then it hit me; did I say Lois' name?

"I thought you were his best friend."

I was at the point where I wanted to rip his pretty head off his body and throw it out in the rain, but I knew that I couldn't do that. I didn't even have the heart to kick him out. I sighed. "I'm going to bed. _Please_ get some sleep."

"'Night Sidekick."

"It's Ch..." No, as much as I hated that nickname, I wasn't giving him the satisfaction of my actual name. He didn't deserve it.

"Ch? Pretty name, but I'll think I'll stick to Sidekick until you tell me what 'Ch' is short for."

"Goodnight, Mr. Queen." I said as I placed my foot on the first step.

I tried to run up the stairs, but my foot caught one of the top steps. I was falling over when I noticed an arm around my body to stop me. How in the world did he catch up to me? I then looked down at his hand, conveniently placed on my chest. After all that, he _still_ managed to get to second base with me.

"Um..."

He immediately moved his hand towards my midsection and offered his other hand to help me stand up. "Sorry."

I shook my head as I continued up the staircase, but he was still following me. At the top of the steps I said, "I think I can handle it from here."

"I don't know what you're talking about. The shower is upstairs right?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"An apology is hardly necessary, but it's Oliver, if you don't mind."

Nicely played _Mr. Queen_, but we're not going to be on a first-name basis that easy.

As I closed the door, I looked at the clock – 10:00 – the earliest I gone to bed in years. Then again, I'm just hoping I can sleep at all.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Sorry to the readers of my other fics... updates are coming I swear, but happy Chlollie is winning right now._

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**Chapter 2**

Lifting my head off the pillow, I tried to forget my experience with Oliver Queen last night to the point where I was convincing myself that it just a nightmare. It's just me and Shelby at the Kent farm, no one else.

Slowly walking into the bathroom with my eyes shut, I tried flipping the light switch a couple times before remembering the power outage. Fortunately, the water was running, so I narrowly opened my eyes to find my toothbrush and started brushing.

Unfortunately, the silence and my hope were simultaneously broken with seven words. "Hey, could you pass me my towel?"

I fully opened my eyes and saw the reflection of Oliver Queen sticking his head outside the shower smiling at me. In a matter of seconds, I had swallowed, dropped my toothbrush to cover my eyes, and slammed the door behind me. Trying to catch my breath, I leaned against the back of the bathroom door. That was too close. "Ever heard of locking a door?"

I could hear his muted laughter on the other side of the door before answering, "Hey, I checked in on you and you were fast asleep. I thought I would wash the bacon grease off my arms before starting the eggs."

"Bacon grease?"

"Yeah... don't you smell it?"

I could smell it _now_. "But the power...?"

"I used the fireplace, but I lost most of my coals and I figured I would wait until you woke up to continuing cooking. By the way, how do you like your eggs?"

"You didn't have to cook breakfast."

He sighed. "I wanted to make up for my behaviour last night. We clearly got off on the wrong foot and I would like to apologize. I had a long flight and a long drive yesterday, so I was pretty tired. However, that doesn't excuse what I did; I had no right to judge your life."

I nodded, even though I knew that he couldn't see it. "Yeah, but you weren't the only one. Guess I owe you an apology too." We were likely stuck with each other until the power came on; the least I could do was attempt to be civil towards him.

"Are you still leaning against the door?"

I took a couple steps and turned around. "Not anymore."

He opened the door and came out dressed in a green polo shirt and jeans while rubbing a towel in his hair. "I rinsed off your toothbrush by the way. It should be still usable."

"Thanks," I said as he started to walk by me. "Hey Oliver?" I immediately squeezed my eyes shut in regret. So much for not being on a first-name basis.

He smirked, clearly aware of my misstep. "Yeah?"

Shaking my head, I murmured, "Scrambled... I like scrambled eggs."

He nodded. "Scrambled it is."

I walked back into the bathroom and gave a quiet chuckle. Not only had he taken my toothbrush out of the sink and rinsed it, but he had also carefully laid it on the counter and applied new toothpaste on it. I peered towards the staircase; maybe all we needed was a good sleep.

After brushing my teeth, I ruffled through my bag, trying to decide what to wear. This was supposed my excuse to live in sweatpants and old clothing but that was before I had unexpected company. Then I realized that it was my vacation, and I shouldn't have to change anything for him. After fixing my hair, I grabbed a red t-shirt and slid on an old pair of jeans. Good enough, I thought as I looked at myself in the mirror.

As I reached the main floor, I realized that the sight of Oliver cooking in these conditions would have been something I never thought I would see. Last night, he wanted me to push his car in pouring rain, and now he's hunched over a fireplace making me breakfast.

Oliver turned his head to look at me."Good timing, my peace offering is just about ready. Care to grab some plates for me?"

Going into the kitchen, I realized that Oliver had set the table and had even lit a few candles to lighten up the room. It was supposed to be summer, but with the dark clouds that came with the rainstorm, the house was actually quite dark without the candles. I grabbed the plates and knelt next to him as he scooped the eggs from the frying pan to the plates.

"Which one do you want?"

For no particular reason, I handed him the plate in my left hand and waited for him to grab it once he set the frying pan down. Then, before I seemed to have a chance to stand up, Oliver had set his plate on the table and walked over to pull out my chair. The gesture confused me for a moment, but then I realized he was trying to be courteous, so I walked in front of the chair and let him push it towards me as I sat down.

We ate in silence for a couple minutes. The events of the previous night were clearly still on our minds and the awkwardness still existed. That, and the candles were kind of unsettling. I knew they were lit out of necessity...and it was breakfast, but eating by candlelight with a stranger just felt weird.

One thing that was tolerable were his eggs, they were a lot better than I had expected considering the circumstances. "These are really good. What did you add to them?"

"I hope Clark won't mind, but I invaded the spice rack."

"Don't worry; he wouldn't know the first thing about spices."

"How about you?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're kidding right? I've mastered the art of Kraft Dinner, instant noodles and Chinese takeout. I don't experience a lot of fine dining."

He stared at the kitchen light before saying, "Now I wish the power was back on."

"You can cook?"

He said dryly, "What? Did you think that I have everything done for me?"

"You're a billionaire CEO, I just assumed..."

His head lifted slightly as he peered in my direction. "I don't have servants, no bodyguards, no maids, but the papers don't write about that." Looking back down at his plate, he stabbed his eggs with his fork. "No... they write about my nightly exploits."

I could sense the sarcasm in his voice, and I felt bad not giving him the benefit of the doubt. "Sorry, sometimes I wish I could turn off the cynic in me."

"I'm sure there's a good reason for that. It's okay, really."

It wasn't, but I wasn't going to push it, so I managed a slight smile and tried to continue the small talk. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Cooked." I laughed for a moment and was about to respond when he continued talking. "Honestly, I'm not picky. I only said that because I was hoping you would loosen up a bit."

"Keep in mind that you had me pretty riled up last night... you weren't the only one with a long drive."

He stretched out his hand towards me. "Fair enough, how would you feel about putting last night behind us and start fresh?"

"I'd be fine with that," I said, shaking his hand while pointing my fork in my other hand in his direction, "but I still want to know what brings you to Smallville."

"Only if you tell me your name," he said as he released my hand.

Looking at my plate, I said softly, "We'll see."

"I wanted blow off some stream before the press conference. Metropolis can get stuffy after a while, and I heard Smallville is a peaceful place to visit."

"It's true then, about the layoffs."

He hung his head. "Unfortunately."

"Do you have an idea of how many?" I was about to put bacon in my mouth, but seeing his reaction, I put the bacon back on my plate and gritted my teeth. "Sorry, professional habit."

He narrowed his eyes at me and said, "Just know that it's not as easy for me as you think."

"Okay, deal's a deal." I said with a slight smile, "'Ch' is short for Chloe."

"You didn't have to tell me."

"You think that I would have enjoyed you always calling me Sidekick until the power came back on?"

"No, but that's not going to stop me from calling you that." For the next couple of minutes, all he did was tap his fork on his plate.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... there's...there's another reason I'm in Smallville. There's a reason that I ended up here."

"Okay?"

"I was hoping to run into Clark."

"But... you..."

"I thought we decided to put last night behind us."

Last night's events were far from my mind when I attempted to ask him what he wanted with Clark. It wasn't everyday that a billionaire wanted to visit a farm-boy journalist. "It isn't about the layoffs, is it? Because..."

"No, you'll be relieved to know all three of you will retain your positions at the Planet, Miss Sullivan."

"Wait... you _knew_ my name?"

"Despite how the papers write me, I actually look into what I'm getting in a merger. That includes the highly-praised reporters of the Daily Planet."

"Then... why go through all of the hurdles just to get to know my name?"

"Ever wanted someone to introduce themselves because they wanted to?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

"People introduce themselves to me because they have to or they're interested in my connections. It's rare when someone introduces themselves to me normally."

"I knew that I didn't say Lois' name last night."

He swallowed and then broke out into a chuckle. "I was surprised you didn't call me on that."

"So seriously, what do you want with Clark?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, I know you're his best friend, but I'd rather keep it between me and Clark."

I nodded. "It's personal, got it. I'll do my best to keep the reporter cap off as long as possible."

He looked outside and grinned. "Does it usually rain this much?"

"Didn't you ever see the Wizard of Oz.? It's Kansas; _anything_ is possible."

"Including you actually having a vacation? You have weird guidelines, Sidekick."

"Oh, you mean house-sitting while they're gallivanting? Honestly, it's the closest thing I get to peace and quiet."

"So where are they?"

I shrugged. "Beats me. It got them out of my hair, so I didn't care where they went. Did Clark know that you were coming?"

"We talked about meeting while I was in town, and I figured the weekend would be easier for both of us."

"Which was determined before he decided on a week-long getaway with Lois?"

"Probably. When will he be back?"

"Five days. In the meantime, you're stuck with me until the power comes back on. Well, and..." I didn't even notice that Kent's family dog wasn't around. "Where's Shelby?"

"Who?"

"Oh, Shelby's the dog."

"I let her out earlier, but with the rain, she settled on the porch."

"Shelby's a boy, by the way." I said as I pulled out my chair to check on Shelby.

Once I opened the front door, Shelby had bolted towards the kitchen while I stood alone looking outside. I don't know what came over me in that moment, but I grabbed my shoes and headed out in the rain without a coat. Maybe it was because I had been stuck inside that house for a while, because feeling the fresh air and the rain on my skin seemed to release all of the tension in my body.

Realizing that I hadn't returned, Oliver had made his way to the door. After catching my gaze, he walked out to the porch and raised an eyebrow at me trying to figure out what was on my mind.

"Don't just stand there looking at me. Get out here."

Shaking his head he remarked, "You don't want me catching a cold, so you bait me outside so we both can catch pneumonia? You are aware that the nearest hospital is miles away."

"Oh, come on Oliver. I don't think you can catch pneumonia from a little rain. Besides, you lived on an island for two years. I thought that meant you had a sense of adventure."

He rolled his eyes as he descended the front steps. Initially he tensed up when he felt the rain, but he eventually relaxed. "So now what? We break into song? Do a rainy version of _Dancing with the Stars_?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Taking a deep breath, I stretched my arms out and stared into the sky.

"Ah... the other non-romantic cliché for standing in the rain."

I looked back at him and playfully smacked his arm before starting to walk back towards the house. "You're no fun." I walked up to the porch and sat down on one of the chairs. Even though I was only out there for a couple of minutes, I was soaked.

Oliver followed suit after a minute but first headed inside to grab a couple of sweaters. After he put one on, he sat down beside me and passed me a hoodie.

"How long were you planning to stay in Smallville? At this rate, you've packed enough shirts for a couple of weeks."

He flatly replied, "You're welcome."

"Thank you." I slipped the hoodie on and slipped my hands in the kangaroo pocket to try to warm them up. "What was it like... on the island?"

"Off the record?"

"I'm on vacation, remember?"

Looking at the rain, he responded, "Initially, I wondered why I was still alive. I wasn't the person I wanted to be at that point, heck, I'm not that person now, but a experience like that makes you realize all of your bad decisions and the basic things we all take for granted. It was a twisted version of a second chance, I guess."

I stared at him trying to figure out if he was being serious or if he was playing me.

"Something on your mind, Chloe?"

I guess if you stare at someone long enough, they get a clue. "Do you mean that?"

"Every word. Why?"

I shook my head. "I just don't get it."

"What exactly?"

"It's almost as if you're two different people and you flipped on or off a particular light switch this morning."

"You're one to talk. What was that?" he said pointing out to where we were standing before.

"Don't get used to it."

"Why not?"

"I don't even know why I did it."

"You should do it more often."

"What?"

"Live in the moment, take risks in that way. Tess says that you almost take your job too seriously, and from what I've seen, it looks like you let it take over your life. I mean, look at you; it's your vacation and you're house-sitting."

"Well, someone had to be here when your car decided to break down."

"That's not what I mean. When do you take time for yourself?"

I tried to think of an answer, but as I opened my mouth, my teeth accidentally chattered instead.

"Here," he said as he took off his sweater and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"I don't want you to get cold."

He smiled at me. "I've handled worse." Despite clearly being cold, he tried to maintain a poker face as he admired the rain while I continued to stare at him.

Oliver could read me like a book, yet even though I thought I had the professional advantage, I couldn't figure him out. Despite devoting myself in journalism, including writing multiple articles about him, I wondered if I really knew Oliver Queen after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Figuring Oliver was still asleep; I quietly walked down the stairs and found Shelby standing at the front door. Poor dog hadn't enjoyed a lot of outside time during the rain. Then again, he wasn't the only one who was getting housebound, and it was finally nice outside.

As I turned to go outside after putting on my shoes, I saw Oliver standing in the doorway, holding the door open for me. "Good morning Chloe."

I pointed to his shirt, covered in black smear marks. "What's the untold skill that I'm finding out today?"

Oliver turned his head towards the driveway. "I pushed my car up and tried to fix it. Unfortunately, it'll need as much work as yours."

My eyes widened in hope that he didn't put the nail in my car's coffin. "You tried to fix _my_ car?"

Seeing my expression, he raised a hand up in defence. "I only looked at it, but the engine's flooded and it's probably been running on a thread for quite some time."

"So what you're saying is that we're stuck here until the power's up?"

"Well, we could walk into Smallville."

I stepped around him and walked down the porch steps. "The repair shop's pretty far on foot... but be my guest. There's probably a map inside the house somewhere."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting some fresh air while I still can."

Letting go of the door, he asked, "Mind if I join you?"

"It's a free country."

"Chloe?"

I shook my head. "No, course I don't mind."

We walked out to the end of the Kent property and leaned against the fence while watching Shelby enjoy his freedom. It was funny watching him chasing the crows. The Kent never needed a scarecrow as long as they had Shelby.

"Do you really know how to fix cars?"

"The basics, nothing major. Unfortunately, our cars' problems are in the latter category."

"Honestly, it's a miracle that car didn't break down two years ago."

"Why don't you get a new one?"

"Not all of us have money to burn on cars." I shrugged. "It gets me from point A to point B.; that's all I need. Speaking of cars, I'm surprised on your rental choice."

"I'm travelling back roads and secondary highways; I didn't think a Ferrari fit the bill. Besides, I don't always need something flashy. Point A to point B, right?"

"Says the man who was baffled by a poncho."

He grinned slightly. "I'm more familiar with this crazy invention they call a raincoat."

"You don't have your own personal umbrella holder?"

"If people hold their umbrella for me, they're paid by someone else. I honestly don't understand why they exist, but if it pays the bills, I have no problem with them. I just don't get why people can't handle a little rain."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"If you're talking about yesterday's random escapade in the rain, keep in mind I lacked a raincoat _or_ a poncho. And it was not by any means 'a little' rain."

We both laughed for a moment, but after that, neither of us spoke for a while. . Every now and then, we would turn and look at each other, but there was no expectation for conversation, which to be honest, was nice for a change. Quiet didn't exist when Clark and Lois were around, and if nothing else, I had gotten used to hearing the sound of typing into a computer.

Eventually, Oliver did break the silence. "Was your passion always with journalism?"

"Yeah, I always wanted to know the truth and let the world know about the injustices around the city."

"Must be nice living the dream."

I nodded. "It is pretty satisfying, but a lot of hard work. What were your dreams when you were younger?'

"I didn't have time for dreams. My life was pretty much laid out for me after my parents died. When I was younger, I counted down the time until I inevitably took over Queen Industries."

"You make it sound like you were being punished."

"I just never had time to be a real kid."

"Neither did I. My father tried his best after my mom left, but in the end, I had to learn how to take care of myself."

"You turned out well, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Thanks."

"I admire what you do, bringing the dirt up to the surface and allowing justice to be served."

I blushed before responding, "You make me sound like I'm some sort of hero."

"You don't have to be the Blur in order to be a hero. Sometimes the greater heroes aren't the ones on the front page headlines, but rather the names written under it." Noticing my continued blushing, he asked, "You alright?"

"I'm not usually noticed in that way. I make more than my share of enemies, and I'm not usually on that front page."

"Yeah, we live in a society where it's all about even numbers. It's unfortunate that you take a back seat to Clark and Lois, you're just as good of a writer."

My head perked up. "You've familiar my work?"

"Your Dark Thursday article was one of my personal favourites."

I rolled my eyes. "Tooting your own horn there, Mr. Queen? It was your satellite photos that made that article even possible."

He shrugged. "What can I say? You made the most of the photos. And really, we're back to last name formalities already?"

I didn't have an answer for him because the truth was I was becoming comfortable hanging out with him... almost too comfortable.

Clearly taking the hint, Oliver straightened up and started walking to the house. "How about I make us some lunch?"

I looked at my watch. How did it get to be lunchtime already? "Shouldn't it be my turn to cook?"

"I don't mind. In fact it's the least I can do since I crashed your vacation plans."

"Actually, you probably kept them intact. To be honest, I probably would have been back at the Planet, regardless of how I had to get there. If anything, I crashed your holiday."

"Believe me, you're a refreshing change from Clark. He's a neat guy, but he doesn't relax much does he?"

If only Oliver knew. "No, but he has good reasons for that."

"Like what?"

"No offence, but I'm going to play the best friend card here."

"You admire him a lot, don't you?"

I nodded as I drummed my fingers against the fence. "There are days that I wish I could do more, but Clark and Lois deserve to be on that pedestal. I work best in the shadows."

He smiled before turning to walk towards the house. "A true diamond in the rough." I heard him whisper.

Me? A diamond? I think he had his metaphors mixed up. I wasn't anything near a diamond, too many rough edges. Besides, I don't think the Daily Planet or Metropolis was a 'rough' by any means.

The wind whistled in my ears as I looked out onto the farm. It was weird that I'd been to this place so many times, but I never really looked at it and appreciated it for what it was.

Sure, Smallville had been the city where I molded from a disillusioned teen to a helper of the weird and unexplained, but I never embraced what I had here until I started working in Metropolis. Oliver was right, while it was a beautiful city, there were days where I couldn't wait to get of there and relax in the Talon. However, those days were getting more limited with Watchtower becoming a higher priority.

Shelby rubbed up next to me and I figured it was time to check in on lunch. As I walked back to the house, I saw Oliver to laying a grilled cheese sandwich on a plate.

"Has anyone told you that you have impeccable timing?"

"I'm a journalist; timing is part of the job description."

After passing me the plate, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. "Go back outside. It's probably cooler out on the porch. I'll be out in a minute."

Settling on the porch steps, I slipped off my shoes to let the sun dry my feet, as both my socks and shoes were soaked from walking in the wet field. Shelby, meanwhile, was trying to find a way to steal my lunch. Right before I was going to give in, Oliver came outside and gave Shelby a corner of his sandwich.

"I figured he was entitled to have a little taste."

I shrugged. "Why not? Thanks again for cooking."

Oliver sat next to me and smiled. "My pleasure."

"Just out of curiosity, how are you keeping everything cold with the power out?"

"Fortunately, there wasn't too much food that needed to be chilled, so I put the necessities inside of a cooler. I hadn't opened the freezer, so hopefully everything in there is still good."

"Wait... where did you get the bacon from? Clark knows I don't cook."

"I brought it."

I raised an eyebrow. "You brought bacon with you on a road trip?"

"My contribution for borrowing a couch for one night... well, it was supposed to be one night here. I thought about staying a little longer in Smallville… hence the multitude of shirts."

After exchanging grins, I said, "Hopefully the power comes back on soon or else we're going to run out of food."

"You forget who you're dealing with here. I survived without power on an island for two years. Your menu plans just become a little more creative."

I said with a smile before taking a bite of my sandwich. "No offence, but I'd rather eat my cooking than experience that kind of 'creativity.'"

* * *

_A/N: I've just noticed that in all of my chapters that I've started for this story, they're always food or drink involved. So I apologize if I'm making any of you hungry, it's not intentional I swear._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. I haven't forgotten about these stories, and more updates are on the way._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Okay it's official... I'm not allowed to cook."

"Actually, it's not that bad. I think the powdered milk gives it character."

I didn't know the first thing about powdered milk, but I had to improvise after gulping down the sour milk this morning. "You don't have to lie."

He chuckled before saying, "It is kind of creepy having little bumps in KD, but it's honestly better than I thought it would be. You just have to pretend it's cheese."

"Oh come on, how often do someone like you really indulge in _this_ kind of cooking?"

"Not as much as I would like."

I laughed as I tilted my head to the side. "You have got to be kidding me."

"It's why I cook my own meals. There's no rules for what you should be eating, no minimum price and no expectations because you're the only one enjoying it."

Trying to stomach my 'cooking,' I asked, "So what do you make for yourself?"

"It's not all beluga and caviar if that's what you're insinuating."

"I would assume that you would get bored of those kinds of things."

"For the record, I can't stand caviar, which in part is thanks to a friend of mine. He's of the firm opinion that fish are friends, not food."

Thinking of AC, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I know the type."

"To answer your question, I can cook pretty much anything, but I never follow a recipe. Cooking is a lot more fun when there's not a specific script to follow."

"It's probably a lot more fun when you don't burn everything you cook. I'm completely useless in the kitchen, as you can plainly see... and taste"

"Maybe one day, I'll teach you what I know."

I smiled while staring at my spoon circling the bowl. "Maybe."

* * *

After cleaning up dishes, I ventured outside to find Oliver retrieving an arrow from a tree trunk.

"Interesting choice of entertainment."

"Archery relaxes me."

"Like yoga?"

"Well, I can't exactly practice archery inside someone else's home." Holding the bow in my direction, he asked, "You want to try?"

I quickly shook my head. "Oh no... I'd be terrible at it."

"You might surprise yourself."

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

"Suit yourself, " he said as he picked up his arrow. "So what do you do for fun?"

Besides playing Big Sister for the sake of serving justice to an unknown community of Metropolis' heroes? Unfortunately for me, fun wasn't exactly a word in my vocabulary. "Sleep?"

"You said that you went out."

"At the time, I didn't think my personal life was any of your business. At the time, I didn't think this would happen."

Oliver released the arrow which had missed the target. "This?"

Judging from the amount of holes in the bulls-eye he had carved into the tree, Oliver obviously didn't miss very often. That word threw him off and I had to find an explanation fast.

"I... I didn't think that I would get along with you."

He was visibly unconvinced, not that I blamed him, but he just gave me a smile before going to retrieve his arrow. "I guess working keeps you busy."

"Yeah... I don't get many early nights between chasing leads and writing stories."

"So do you actually go out?"

"Not really." I glanced at my hand, remembering a time when my life was normal, when there was a ring on my finger that meant that I was the most important person in someone's life. But he's gone now, and he's not coming back.

"You okay?"

"Fine," I lied. "Why?"

"You looked deep in thought."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"If you change your mind, I'm willing to lend an ear, okay? Maybe even a shoulder."

I nodded. "I should probably go; I'm just throwing off your focus."

Pointing towards the target, he smiled. "You mean that? Misses happen."

"Really? At the pace you were going at, that tree might fall down."

"Well, we will need more firewood eventually."

I managed a grin before turning around "Good luck with that."

Walking towards the barn, I started to reminisce all of the fleeting memories that place held for me. Throwing myself at Clark only to be rejected time after time. Watching the sunset as I walked out of the barn as Jimmy's wife. Finding out about Jimmy's accident and trying to forgive myself for what happened.

If I had been at home with him instead of telling Clark about a lead, Jimmy wouldn't have had to pick me up. I told him to stay home, but Jimmy was always looking out for me, and insisted on coming. He died soon after we said goodbye. I almost couldn't believe that Jimmy was killed by a drunk driver, considering what I had seen working with Clark. For a while, I almost felt bad for the other guy. Seeing his face after he came out his coma was heartbreaking, impressive considering he was responsible for making me a widow.

"There you are."

I shook out of my reverie and tried to keep my emotions in check. "Had enough practice?"

Oliver smiled at me. "I thought I would save that tree." Noticing my unchanging expression, he added, "It's a joke Chloe."

"I know... it's just that..."

"What?"

"Never mind… it's nothing.

"Tell me what's going on, Chloe."

"Do you… do you ever get the feeling that no matter what you do, you're going to end up alone?"

His eyes softened as he shook his head. "You're talking to an orphan Chloe. I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of because of what happened to my parents. Throughout my childhood, I was a bully because I wanted to feel like I was bigger or better than someone. I've spent the majority of my adult life as a playboy just to have some form of human contact. The saddest part is that I've pushed away people… good people because I'm afraid they'll be taken away from me if they get too close."

He sighed and gave a slight shrug. "I'm the guy with everything money can buy and nothing it can't."

Strangely, I felt like I could relate to that sentiment. After Jimmy's accident, I felt like I had also lost everything that money couldn't buy. Clark blamed himself and only came back to Metropolis for Lois, who took a month-long assignment for the Planet. Although I can't really blame Lois, I told her to go.

"Oliver, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"I know." Turning his head to look at me, his expression changed to one of concern. "Chloe?"

I placed my hand to my cheek and discovered a single tear had run down my face. I spun around, trying to regain my composure.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why…"

"Stop apologizing. You don't have to say anything."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine, really."

Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel him standing behind me shaking his head. "You're not fine and you know it. You're a strong woman, Chloe, but holding those emotions inside only makes it worse. Let them fall, let yourself face it."

As if on cue, I turned around to face him, knowing only instead of a single tear stain that my eyes were probably red and my cheeks were damp from tears. For months, I told people that I was fine and everyone bought it. Why was Oliver the only one who could see right through my façade and excuses so effortlessly?

Oliver approached me and wrapped his arms around me. Slowly I lifted my arms to return the embrace and buried my head on his chest, and in the process, likely wrecking a shirt worth more than my car. But Oliver didn't seem to care. He just rubbed my back and told me that everything would be okay. I felt oddly safe in his arms… comfortable in a way I hadn't in a long time.

After a minute, he dropped his arms and backed away. "Better?"

I nodded. "Sorry, I'm not usually such a mess."

He said with a smile, "Don't worry about it," and turned to walk out of the barn.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry... this story mutated on me and that's why it took so long to get this out. It's short, but Chapter 6 will make up for it (3300 words and counting...)_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Macallan ten-year scotch. It's considered to be one of the best in the world, something that Oliver's probably used to having. For me, it was never about the contents of the bottle, but rather the moment, the memory that I was supposed to have and never did.

My dad bought it for me when I got my first article published at the Daily Planet and told me we'd share a drink when I was old enough to drink it. Unfortunately, two months later he took off without saying goodbye. I haven't seen him since.

For years, the bottle sat in my liquor cabinet because I held onto the hope that he would come back. I waited for him to come back to walk me down the aisle, or when I officially started working at the Planet, or even after Jimmy died. But he never did.

So when I decided to take a vacation, I figured I had to celebrate taking time for myself, but that didn't make pouring it into a second glass any easier. I mean, Oliver had been great, but it just wasn't the same.

Walking back towards the fireplace, I saw Oliver sitting on the floor while resting his back on the couch. I could tell that he was nervous; there was an air of worry in his eyes.

I settled next to him and handed him his drink. "Here, this should help take the edge off."

His lips twitched slightly out, trying to smile. "Thanks." He took a sip and placed it on the floor.

My eyes moved from his face to my glass. "You really don't want to do it, do you?"

"What?"

"The press conference...firing all those people."

After letting a sigh out, he replied, "I've had my life handed to me, and it hurts to take someone else's away because they've earned it more than I have."

"Then why do it?"

"It's what they think is best — it's what happens in these situations."

I tried to scoff under my breath, but Oliver heard it and turned to me.

"What is it?"

"You want people to see you instead of your title, yet you're letting a group of men in bad suits tell you how to run your company."

"They're my advisors."

"Exactly— they _advise_— which means that you don't have to do what they say. What do you want to do?"

"It's not that easy."

Swirling my drink, I sighed. "Nothing in life worth having is easy." I looked up at him and added, "but if you want people's respect, you have to earn it. Start acting like a CEO instead of a figurehead."

After staring at me for a moment, he broke into a smile.

"What?"

"It's been a long time since someone has been that honest with me."

"Really? I thought Tess would drive you into the ground with your history."

"She's critical - there's a difference."

"Tess is critical to everyone."

"Speaking of history though, what is the deal with you and Clark?"

I had hoped we could avoid this conversation, yet I guess it was only a matter of time before it would come up again. "We're just friends."

"Yeah...I got that story the first night. I may not know everything about you, but I'm not an idiot."

I bowed my head in defeat. "There's nothing else to tell... that's what we are."

"Which means that he only sees you as a friend right?"

I brought my glass to my lips and took a sip. "With him there was always someone else... someone prettier, more dedicated or... something."

He put his hand on my shoulder, the initial touch causing a chill to go throughout my body. "It's his loss."

Staring at his hand, I tried to stay calm. "You really believe that?"

Oliver moved his hand to push a loose curl of my hair behind my ear. "All these years, he's had a beautiful woman right in front of him and he refused to see it."

I turned my head away to look out the window. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"What? You don't believe me?"

"No."

He persisted, "What's not to like about you Chloe? You're at the height of your career, you have good taste in scotch, you're fun to hang out with, and you could probably kick the average guy's ass."

Taking flattery was not my strong suit so it didn't surprise me when I felt my cheeks warming up, which made me grateful that he couldn't see it. "But not yours?"

He whispered in my ear, "I wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating you."

I could feel my chest tighten with each word, but I had to face him. As I turned my head slowly, I noticed Oliver had kept his head within inches of mine. Trying to maintain a poker face, I remarked, "The one advantage to being a petite blonde."

Sitting back up, Oliver said, "All I know is you're unlike anyone I've ever met."

"After only five days?"

"Especially after five days. I don't know how he did it, but I think Clark's managed to get you to repress a whole side of your personality. Underneath that hard exterior is a really interesting person that I'm not sure even you know about because you are always undermining yourself."

"How can you be so sure?"

"The fact you let me in on the night we met. I treated you like garbage and you reacted accordingly, yet you still helped me."

"I did that because I thought you would sue me."

"Seriously?"

I shook my head. "The thought crossed my mind, but no. I did that because I always want to help people."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"Sometimes it is."

He raised an eyebrow. "Was it this time?"

"Surprisingly, no. You've been a pleasant surprise."

I had turned my head to place my drink on the coffee table when I felt Oliver's fingers graze my hand on the floor. Before I had a chance to react, he had slightly retracted his hand while he sat with his eyes glued to the fireplace without as much of a smirk on his face. Despite appearing oblivious to his actions, he had to know that I felt that. But he didn't say anything, which meant one thing to me...it was my move.

I thought about the time we'd spent together from laughing over food to metaphorically (and literally) crying on each other's shoulders to getting soaked in the rain... the truth was we were getting close. I had meant it when I said that he had been a pleasant surprise, but despite the circumstances, I never thought he would give me a second look. But he had, and even though after two more days, he would go back to his life and likely forget all about me, that didn't mean that we couldn't enjoy the moment... this moment.

So I leaned back on the couch and slowly moved my hand under his. Taking a deep breath, I cupped my fingers around his hand and squeezed it lightly. I could feel his gaze on me as he tightened his grip, but instead of meeting it, I placed my head onto his shoulder and smiled.

Even as the lights flickered back on, we sat side-by-side on the floor admiring the fire in front of us.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Brian and Tammy are my first original characters… which I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Any resemblance to an existing character is purely coincidence. Also... there's a teeny amount of coarse language in this chapter... you've been warned.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I didn't normally do this. I mean, nothing happened, but waking up on the floor with my head resting on Oliver's shoulder was not something that I had expected when we first met. Furthermore, while it was likely my hero complex kicking in, his arm tightly wrapped around my body made me feel safe.

So why was I so worried?

Timing wasn't an issue, it had been a long time since Jimmy died. No...it was him. Not too long ago, I hated Oliver Queen. I hated everything about him, the way he exploited his name and bank account, the air about him that meant that he owned the world.

But that wasn't who I was, dare I say, _cuddling_ on the floor with. It made no sense to me, but Oliver Queen was not Oliver.

Oliver worried about his company, the consequences of his actions, but most importantly, he was a man terrified of letting his parents down. It was clear that he wasn't satisfied with the way he was living his life, yet for some reason, he seemed relaxed in my presence. I wasn't sure how to react to that because while enjoying the moment is nice, the truth was that the moment had to end eventually and I wasn't sure either one of us was willing to face that yet.

"Morning," I heard him whisper.

I titled my head up to see him grinning at me. "Morning. You haven't been staring at me for long, have you?"

"Honestly, I was waiting for what I thought was the inevitable reaction."

"What's that?"

There was a knock on the door, followed by a male voice. "Chloe, you there?"

Sliding his arm off me, I started to get up. "Sorry… I have to get that."

He squinted his eyes. "Really? You _have_ to?"

I turned back and kissed his forehead. "You did say that it was inevitable." Walking to the door, I put my hand over my mouth. Even though I hardly knew him, kissing him almost felt natural.

Opening the door, I was greeted by a familiar face. "Bryan, hey."

"Thought I might stop by to see how you survived during the power outage. My girlfriend's been a little worried about her favourite customer."

"You tell Tammy that I was stuck here and you were here to save the day."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"My car..."

Bryan rolled his eyes before interrupting me. "I should have known. You should have replaced that bucket of bolts ages ago."

"Hey, it's been running fine since you fixed it last time."

Bryan crossed his arms and chuckled. "What's wrong now?"

I gritted my teeth for a moment before responding, "Oliver said that the engine was flooded."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oliver?"

Oliver walked over and held his hand to Bryan. "Nice to meet you. It was Bryan right?"

Proudly shaking his hand, Bryan answered, "It's a pleasure Mr. Queen."

"Please call me Oliver."

Noticing Bryan's awestruck expression, I tried to get the conversation back on track. "Now... about the cars, do you think that you could tow them to your Dad's repair shop?"

Bryan turned back to me. "_Cars? _So that means you two have been stuck here the entire time?"

I nodded. "With no cell reception, no power and no transportation, we really didn't have a choice."

After taking a quick glance between Oliver and I, Bryan shook his head. "Well, it'll take some time to fix them, but I can definitely get them to the shop. You two want a lift to Smallville beforehand? You're probably getting tired of this place."

Oliver draped his arm around my shoulders. "That sounds like a great idea; you can show me the sights."

I turned my head to face Oliver. "This is Smallville. It doesn't take that long to go through town."

As Bryan walked down the steps, he turned back for a moment. "Just make sure you stop by the Talon to visit Tammy."

"I have things to do at home anyways, so that's a given."

While Oliver followed Bryan to his truck, I quickly went back inside and turned off the forgotten lights. Locking the front door, I took a deep breath trying to prepare myself to step back into the real world.

* * *

Walking up the steps, I spread out my arms and said, "Welcome to Smallville High."

Oliver smiled. "It's nice."

"Oh please... it's no Excelsior."

He opened the door and gestured me to go inside. "It's normal, nothing wrong with that."

"Admit it; you enjoyed running the show at high school."

"It had it perks, but there were things that I wished I handled differently."

"That's the point of high school isn't it?"

Oliver stopped in front of a school event bulletin board. "So what were you in high school? Cheerleader? Nerd? Activist?"

"Editor."

"Figures."

"Although... I was a cheerleader for one game." In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to tell him that, but seeing Oliver's mouth slowly widen in shock was worth it.

"Really? You wore short skirts and shook pom poms? Now that's something I'd pay to see."

Reaching with my arm to tap his chin up, I smirked at him. "I'm up here, Romeo, and before you ask, there's no amount of money you could pay to get me back in it."

"So you still have it?"

"God, I hope not."

"Why did you do it? Clark?"

I contemplated how to answer that. Clark played a role in most events in my life, including that one, but the exact truth Oliver would never believe..

"Let's just say that it's not one of my proudest moments." Seeing the door to the Torch, I opened it and smiled. "This, however, is. This room is where it all started, even though I almost got expelled a couple of times for my liberal publishing habits."

"It looks abandoned."

Oliver was right. I coughed into my arm, trying to ignore the mountain of dust on the sheets that covered the furniture. Then my expression softened once I saw that the only thing on the bulletin board that defined my teenage years was highlighted dust outlines.

"It does, doesn't it?"

Then I heard an unfamiliar female voice from outside of the door. "No... it can't be. Clayton, you won't believe who's here."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I guess that no matter where we went, Oliver would always have groupies. However when I turned around, I found Oliver alone in the other corner of the room while I had two students staring at me like I was their hero.

"You're Chloe Sullivan, right?"

Completely dumbstruck, I said the first word that came to mind. "Yes..."

The girl grinned widely. "I'm Zoe... and this is Clayton. We're co-editors for the Torch. This is incredible...we never thought that we'd meet you in person."

I looked over at Oliver, who was doing everything to hold back his laughter. Trying to maintain my own composure, my lips cracked into a surprised smile. "Can't say that I ever thought I would be welcomed with open arms here."

Clayton pulled out his phone and started fiddling with it. "Are you kidding? You made the Torch what it is today." Handing the phone to me, he continued, "Take a look at this. The Wall of Weird is more than a bulletin board now... it's out there, on the web."

"Wow...I can't believe you did this." It was a silly project... I never thought it would be touched, let alone, continued.

The class bell rung, and both Zoe and Clayton rotated their heads towards the door.

"Come on Zoe... we've got class."

Zoe frowned as she turned back to face me. "Can you come back some time? Please?"

I handed Clayton back his phone. "I'll see what I can do."

Shaking each of their hands, Zoe said quickly before taking off. "It was amazing meeting you."

After waving to them as they entered the hallways to head to class, I looked back at Oliver across the room.

"The Wall of Weird?"

Rolling my eyes at him, I quickly replied, "Don't ask."

"Something to do with the liberal publishing habits I suppose."

"Among other things."

Oliver took my hand to lead me out of the room. "Well I have to say… it was nice seeing someone else got ogled."

I squeezed his hand as I took one last look inside the Torch. "Believe me, it doesn't happen often."

"Whatever you say, Sidekick. You hung the moon for those kids."

"How about we move on to our next stop?"

"After... wait." He quickly released my hand to walk back a couple steps to a bulletin board.

"You okay, Oliver?"

He poked the glass over the board. "_You_ were prom queen?"

At that moment, I'm pretty sure that my face went past embarrassed-pink into mortified-purple. It has been over three years since I graduated. What was that photo still doing there?

"Yeah... not proud of that either."

"You look pretty happy."

"I wasn't, believe me... I wasn't... myself... that day."

"What other secrets does this place hold for you?"

The truth? Hundreds... he just managed to scratch the surface.

"None more that I am willing to tell you. So let's get out here."

"I don't know... I kind of like this place. It's like learning a completely different side to you."

"Oliver, please."

"Fine. Lead the way, Sidekick."

* * *

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home."

"This is a coffee shop."

I turned around and dialled up the sarcasm. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Oliver simply nodded. "You live in a coffee shop."

"No, but with the amount of coffee that I normally drink, that wouldn't be too much of a stretch. I live above the coffee shop, and coincidentally the best coffee you can buy."

"Is that so?"

I opened the door and entered the Talon. "I'm willing to bet that it is better than any $300 European blend that you drink."

"Really? What do I get if you're wrong?"

I turned my head to grin at him with narrowed eyes. "Believe me, you won't win."

Walking to the counter, I was grateful that Tammy was working today. She was the only one who made the coffee I mentioned to Oliver, and I couldn't let him down after I hyped it up.

"Hey Tammy, two Talon specials; I have a wager to settle."

Tammy smiled after punching the order into the register. "What's in it for me?"

"If I win, I promise to average three a day for the next month."

She snickered as she picked up my money from the counter. "You do that already."

I rolled my eyes. "I do, don't I?"

"No worries, I'm just glad to see that you survived the power outage. What do you get if you win?"

"You know what? We never actually established stakes. Bragging rights, I guess."

She said sarcastically, "Sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

When Tammy looked up at me, I could see a glint in her eyes. "That you're a sneaky woman, Chloe Sullivan."

"What?"

"You know, setting up Clark and Lois to get them out of town so you can have a little rendezvous with Star City's most eligible bachelor. Can't say I saw that coming. What's he like? Do the papers give the man justice?"

"Stick to brewing Tammy. He's at the farm because he wants to talk to Clark. Purely coincidence that I happened to be there."

"So nothing's going on?"

"We got stuck together because of the power outage and two broken-down cars."

And I _may_ have woken up this morning with my head on his shoulder... but that was a one-time thing and coincidentally the last thing I wanted Tammy to know.

As she handed me the coffees, she peered over my shoulder, probably to look at Oliver. "Well… I can think of worse ways of being stuck in a farm house."

"Tammy, this is me we're talking about here, not you. Besides, you already have a boyfriend."

Tammy was clearly in a trance, so I continued, "You know... six foot tall…baby-blue puppy-dog eyes…thinks you're way cooler than sliced bread." Still ignoring me, I grabbed her arm to shake her out of it. "The name Bryan ring a bell?" It was then I noticed a ring on her finger. "Oh..."

She finally snapped out of her gaze to look at her ring. "It's beautiful isn't it?"

"I'm surprised Bryan didn't mention anything."

"Well, you know boys."

"Don't I ever, but you may want to lecture him on titles, he called you his girlfriend this morning."

"I'm not too worried about it. I'm not too used to the idea myself."

"Well, tell him I said congratulations."

"I will, but enough about me. You're the one who has a hot, single billionaire falling head over heels for her."

"He's not, Tammy." Seeing that she was clearly unconvinced, I repeated quietly, "He's _not_!"

"Could have fooled me."

"Later Tam." I grabbed the coffees, but Tammy grabbed my arm to stop me. "What?"

Her eyes softened as she patted my hand before releasing it. "You're like family Chloe, and it's been a year since the accident. You deserve to be happy."

"I appreciate that, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of happiness yet."

I looked away from Tammy to see Oliver likely turning down a girl at the table. He held a good front, but I could tell that he was uncomfortable with the attention. I strolled over to the table and slammed the coffee down.

"I dare you to not like this coffee." The girl shook her head and stormed out of the Talon. Tipping my head in her direction, I asked. "I wasn't interrupting, was I?"

"Hardly, and even if you were, I welcome it with open arms. So I take it this is the world's best coffee."

"That it is." I looked around and started to feel uncomfortable with the eyes staring at us. "I don't mean to be rude but, do you mind if I run upstairs to do a couple things while you deliberate your decision?"

Oliver took his coffee and brought it to his lips. "Take your time."

"Thanks."

I grabbed my coffee and headed upstairs. I felt bad because I honestly didn't have anything to do, but I needed a moment alone to think.

Looking around the Talon, it felt empty. I had gotten so used to Oliver's company during the blackout that seeing the vacant apartment felt weird to me. Yet it shouldn't. Lois and I hardly spent any time together in the apartment, in fact I had gotten used to being alone after Jimmy died.

Walking towards my room, I looked at the sparkle from the wedding ring on my dresser. Lois told me I shouldn't keep it in plain sight, but I didn't mind. That way I didn't forget him.

I picked up the ring and slipped it on my finger. In some ways it felt so right, but in others, so wrong. I was never honest with Jimmy because there were way too many secrets... the ring simply reminded me of what happens when I opened my heart to someone. Even though he died of 'normal' causes, honesty, or lack there of, would eventually kill any relationship that I could ever hope to have.

Taking the ring off my finger, I sighed. In the life I had chosen, there were sacrifices, but I never thought it would be a personal life, or a life of my own.

"Chloe!"

My ring fell out of my palm as I turned to face Tammy at the doorway. "You scared me."

"Where were you just now?"

"Nowhere important."

"I said your name three times."

"Really? Tammy, I'm sorry..."

Tammy quickly interrupted, "Sorry you didn't tell me about the marketing deal? You should be, I would have put more effort into it had I known the stakes were that high."

"What?"

"Oh, you don't have to be so coy about it, Oliver told me everything."

"You talked to Oliver?" Great, I probably had some explaining to do now.

"Yep, I thought I would keep him company until you got back." I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. "No need to thank me, I was on my break anyway."

"So he liked your blend?"

She nodded. "He said that if you won, he would talk to his contacts within Starbucks about selling my coffee in their stores."

"Well, if anyone deserves it Tam... it's you."

The door opened again and Oliver gave me a smile as he shut the door.

"It's all thanks to you." She gave me a quick hug. "You are the best friend slash customer a girl could have."

As she left the room, she pointed at Oliver, "and you... you need a better publicist. You are _way_ nicer in person." Tammy winked at me as she left the room.

I raised an eyebrow at Oliver. "A marketing deal?"

Scratching his head, he answered, "I couldn't think of a better idea than you being able to get her coffee no matter where you go." His gaze lifted to my eyes. "Unless you wanted something else."

"No, I ..."

"Good, because I like her, and she could use the money to help plan for her wedding."

"That's a really sweet thing for you to do."

"Oh, don't worry; she was more than willing to return the favour."

"What did she tell you?"

"That Clark isn't completely to blame for your detachment from the world." Pointing at the floor, he gave a slight grin. "It all makes sense now."

Turning to look where he was pointed, I realized he was pointing to the place where I dropped my wedding ring. Leaning over to pick it up, I slipped it in my pocket.

I saw Oliver's expression change as I stood back up. "He was a good man, Chloe."

"No offence, but how would you know? How would a guy like you know the Planet's junior photographer?"

"You remember Jessica Walters?"

"Who could forget the Priss of the Planet?"

"Do you remember how she got fired?"

"Jimmy told me that she wrote an offensive article and Tess tore her to shreds. We all tried to convince Jimmy to tell us who the article was...oh my gosh. _You_?"

He nodded. "He came to take photos for an article she was writing on me, but it was clear that she didn't like me. Thought I was some weird creature because of... well... the usual things. The interview turned into an attack ad, and although I tried being sarcastic to hold back the frustration, Jimmy could sense it. He tried to intervene, but she told him to shut up and reminded him of his 'place' at the Planet."

"Sounds like her."

"Well, I was fine with her being rude to me because I'm used to it, but Jimmy didn't deserve it. So... I told her that she needed to stop being such a bitch."

My hand flew to my mouth. "You didn't?"

"Oh... I did. She was not pleased, and poor Jimmy burst out into laughter as she stormed out of my office commenting on our lack of professionalism."

"While that answers a lot of questions, I don't see how that explains how you knew Jimmy."

"Jessica gave him a copy of the article to figure out which picture would most accurately depict the sadistic bastard I was. Her words, not mine. But after the article was trashed, he stopped by and gave his copy to me. He thought the rightful owner deserved the proof of how the Wicked Witch was defeated. We celebrated over a beer…that's when he told me about this girl."

He held a sly grin as he continued his story. "You see, they had a history, and he was scared that she wouldn't give him a second chance. I told him to go for it, that love's always worth whatever struggle life throws at you."

"Jimmy never told me that."

"You might say that our friendship had served its purpose, even if it was for only one night. But if there was anything I could say for sure about Jimmy was that he loved you."

"I didn't deserve him. I let... work... get in the way."

"You have to move on from his death; Jimmy would have wanted you to."

"It's …"

"Hard, I know. Believe me, I know. I gave you that story Chloe, and I'm not going to repeat it, but I meant every word. Keeping those emotions inside of you only makes it worse, no matter how strong you are."

"But..."

"But nothing. It's something you have to do. You're an amazing woman, and if there's someone else out there who can make you happy, you just have to let yourself go and let it happen." Walking towards the door, he said, "Just... think about it."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the farm. My car is here, so I can housesit for you until Clark and Lois come home tomorrow. You probably have things you'd rather be doing here. "

"Yeah, I guess. Thank you for listening."

He glanced up and smiled as he walked out the door. "You too."

Pulling the ring out my pocket I looked at the little piece of jewellery that I let control my life for the past year. However, I wanted to do right by him because I hadn't while he was alive. Then again, I hadn't expected anyone to care about me. After being ignored for years, I thought Jimmy would be the only person who would bother to see me in that light.

Then Oliver came along and it was like my entire world changed, like... like...

_there's someone else out there who can make you happy; you just have to let yourself go and let it happen._

I stared at the ceiling and squeezed my eyes shut. How could I have been so blind? There he was, pouring his heart out to me for a chance and I let him walk away. Sure, it would end tomorrow, but it couldn't hurt to enjoy it while it lasted. We're supposed to live in the moment, aren't we?

I looked towards the door... maybe it wasn't too late. I shoved the ring in my jewellery box, hopefully leaving it in the rear-view mirror in the process, and I bolted out the door, not bothering to close it, let alone lock it. I didn't have time.

My phone started to buzz, but instead of answering it, I looked at Tammy behind the espresso machine and said, "Catch."

Her eyes lit up as I tossed my cell phone without a care of whether or not she caught it. All I knew was that I couldn't deal with distractions. On my way out the door, I thought I heard her say something back, but it didn't matter, I had to catch up to him.

I looked up and down the streets, trying to find his car. This was the moment where I wished he had driven a fancier car or at least a more memorable model. He couldn't have left yet. I couldn't have been that slow.

"Looking for someone?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin for the second time in less than an hour when I turned around saw Oliver.

"I thought you left."

Pointing his thumb towards the Talon, he flatly replied, "Bathroom break."

"Oh." That must have been what Tammy was likely trying to tell me.

He nodded before slipping by me to head towards his car. "Well, see you around."

For a moment, I couldn't move or even speak. Why was I letting it happen again?

He was about to open the door when I finally blurted, "Oliver, wait."

"What is it?"

I started walking towards the passenger side before I had the chance to convince myself otherwise. "I'm…. I'm coming with you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Now what?

The last two hours of my existence had revolved around those two words. I had lost count how many times I had tossed and turned trying to come up with an answer. Giving up, I turned my head to look at the clock on my bed-side table.

I mean, I ran after the guy, we had a completely normal, yet wonderful evening, and now I'm second-guessing everything.

Even though we both put our hearts out there, we know the realistic situation ahead of us. It just... can't... happen. He's going back to California and I couldn't do the long-distance thing.

I refuse to be that girl. You know... the one who worries what her man is up to all the time because he's away so much. We'd crash and burn faster than you can say 'disaster.'

We couldn't just be friends though; we got past that point the moment we fell asleep together watching embers fly in the fireplace.

I shut my eyes again, trying to erase the memory of the week we had shared, even though I knew it was pointless. What happened to just being on a last name basis? What happened to hating everything he stood for?

Hearing the door creak open, I pretended to be asleep.

"Rise and shine cuz. I know you're faking it."

My eyes bolted open. "Lois?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

I sat up and leaned against the headboard. "You're early."

Lois sat down on the bed and ruffled my hair. "Morning to you too. So glad you're happy to see me."

Pushing her arm off me, I tried to hold myself together. "I am… it's just… your flight was at six tonight, wasn't it?"

"Oh, we flew alright." Lois' gaze left my eyes to look out the window as a grin grew across her face.

"What?"

"You don't have to hide it anymore Chloe. I know."

I had an idea of what Lois was talking about, but I wanted to tread carefully. "You know what exactly?"

"Clark flew us home."

Well... can't say I was expecting that exact sentence. "Wait, hold on... Clark can _fly_?"

She quickly rolled her ears as she looked back at me. "You want to play the naive card with me, that's fine, but tell me... how you were planning on picking us up without a car?"

"Let me guess...you stopped at the Talon?"

Lois nodded. "We called your phone to let you know that we'd be early but when you didn't answer, we thought we would stop by and grab you some coffee. Then Tammy told us that we could find you here."

"I did promise Clark I would look after the farm."

"Which does not explain why you stayed here all week."

"The power was out while we experienced the rainstorm of the decade, and I didn't feel like walking to Smallville after my car broke down."

Not that I blamed her, but it was easy to tell that Lois wasn't buying that from her expression. "All valid points, but you forgot the most important reason why you stayed here."

"Which one is that?"

"The six-foot tall blonde one."

I figured it was Oliver-related, but I wasn't giving Lois any ideas, nor did I want to get into this conversation with Lois. "Don't jump to conclusions Lois."

"Considering the leads given to me, I have a reason to believe there's something going on here."

I buried my head in my hands. "I'm your cousin, Lo... not a human interest story."

After patting her hand on my shoulder, Lois said, "Hey...I'm glad you're finally putting yourself out there."

Safe to say after that comment, my head bolted back up. "Wait a minute... who said anything about... What did Tammy tell you?"

"That Oliver Queen offered her a marketing deal for her coffee... and something about you _running_ out the door after him, leaving her with this." After digging in her pockets, she passed me my cell phone. "Last I checked, you didn't chase after any guy, let alone Oliver Queen."

I snatched my cell phone from Lois' hands. "I didn't... and I don't... it's just that... it wasn't fair that he should take over my responsibility, and I figured Bryan would bring my car back here anyway. That is, of course, if they can even fix my car."

"I'd have a little easier time believing that story if you had a different text waiting for you."

"What text?" Then I remembered my phone buzzing being the reason I tossed it to Tammy.

"Read it for yourself."

I filed through my phone and found a single message from Tammy that I didn't recognize.

_I won't serve you another Talon special if you let him walk out of here. T_

I tried to shrug it off as I laid my phone on the table. "I never read it."

I could tell Lois still wasn't convinced of my indifference, and from her face, I realized I only fed her argument. "I know – that's what makes it so unbelievable. Our favourite barista wouldn't ban you from coffee for just any reason. Besides, I can tell you like him, it's written all over your face."

"Is it?"

Seeing the defeat on my face, Lois jumped at the opportunity. "Aha! I knew it."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Doesn't matter, him and me... it doesn't make any sense."

"Actually, it makes plenty of sense. Aesthetically-wise, you'd make some cute blonde babies together."

I brought my palm to my forehead and said in desperation, "Lois, please... don't start this conversation."

"Seriously though, I've interviewed him a couple times and he never smiled like he did when he talks about you. It's almost as if you bring something positive out of him... and the fact you're contemplating this scenario means that he's gotten to you too."

"I'm not contemplating anything." I knew it wasn't going to work with Lois, but I had to try.

"Why else would you pretend to be asleep? You're letting your past cloud the chances for your happiness."

Sticking my ring-less hand up for Lois to see, I said calmly, "I'm not. I even put the ring in the jewellery box... you were right. It was time to move on."

"While I'm glad to finally hear you say that, this has nothing to do with me. If it did, that ring would have been buried in that box by now."

Staring at my hand, I stroked my ring finger before looking back up at Lois. "Did you know that he knew Jimmy?"

"What?"

"He... Oliver, I mean, convinced Jimmy to ask me out. I owe my marriage to a fluke encounter between them."

Lois narrowed her eyes at me. "Is that why you shared your dad's scotch with him?"

"I never said I did."

She simply shook her head and continued, "Oliver doesn't know the significance of that bottle, does he?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would I tell him that? It's not a memory I just dish out to anyone."

"Yet out of everyone, you shared it with him."

A smile started to break across my lips. "He was having a hard time, and I thought it would help him. Besides, it probably was the only thing I had that lived up to his standards."

"Cuz...forget falling in love, with a smile like that, it's obvious that you've fallen hard already."

I considered telling her otherwise, but I knew it was a pointless cause. The truth was I wasn't completely convinced Lois was wrong. "It was just nice to be noticed. After being overlooked so long, you know how I decided to sell a facade to everyone. He didn't buy it, not for one second. Oliver sees past that and sees... _me_... and I'm not sure how to react to that."

The smile faded as I brought myself back to reality. "Like I said, it doesn't matter what my feelings are because we both know that he'll return to Star City after the press conference."

"We also know that he has a penthouse here. He could set up shop in Metropolis and you two could figure something out."

"It's not as easy as that Lois."

"Weren't you the one who told me that nothing in life worth having is easy before Clark and I started going out?"

I averted my eyes from my cousin to look at the ceiling, remembering saying those words to Oliver. Furthermore, I knew that she was going to make me pay for what I did to her and Clark, but I didn't think it would happen this fast.

Pulling my arm to make me look at her, Lois continued to argue. "Sorry, Chloe, but I'm with Tammy here. You're making a big mistake if you let him leave."

"It was only a week Lois. He'll forget all about me once he heads home."

"Doubtful."

Not believing my ears, I narrowed my eyes at Lois. "How would you know?"

"On top of the aforementioned smile...your wager. Tammy told me that you never established stakes, but Oliver asked Tammy to keep an eye on you in exchange for the marketing offer for her coffee. He's worried about you, Chlo."

"I know, but it would never work. We're from two different worlds."

"Hello? Do you remember who you're talking to? You knew that my boyfriend was a flying, life-saving person from another planet and you were our own personal Emma. There is no way a billionaire from another city can top that."

"Ahem." Both Lois and I turned to find Clark standing in the doorway.

Looking around Lois, I waved at Clark. "Welcome home Clark."

Clark momentarily smiled and pointed towards the stairs. "Thanks. I just thought that I would let you know that Oliver is waiting at his car to say goodbye to you."

I glanced towards the stairs, reminding me of what I had to do today. I faked a smile before getting off the bed. Looking out of the window, I finally responded, "I… I just need a minute to get changed."

Once we could hear Clark's footsteps on the stairs, Lois got off the bed and said, "Please Chloe, this would be something good for you. Don't let it slip through your fingers."

She closed the bedroom door behind her without another word. If only Lois truly understood what happened here.

At the farm, it was our own little world, we were Chloe and Oliver. No formalities, no responsibilities, just living lives. Even in Smallville, it felt like we could do anything. But Lois and Clark coming back allowed reality to set in, and we both had to move on.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I thought to myself that this was it. No matter how many times we tried to fight it, this was the final act. I knew that this was coming, but I was still fighting it.

I walked down the steps wondering what I was supposed to do. I couldn't run after him like last time, but I couldn't pretend that we could start something. Pulling the front door open, I started considering what to say to him because based on his body language; I could tell that he was as scared of this moment as I was.

So I started with the only ice-breaker I could think of. "Did you get what you needed from Clark?"

If his body language didn't sell his emotions, his expression sure did. I could tell he was holding back before he responded, "No, but I understand his decision."

"You want me to talk to him for you? Being his best friend and all, I do have pull in his decisions." I grinned, trying to brighten up the mood, but it felt useless. The look on his face never changed, and I doubted that mine had either.

"We agreed to leave you out of it."

"But you never told me what you needed from him, it's not like I can..."

He placed his arm on my shoulder. "It's for your own good, Chloe. Leave it at that."

My eyes looked at his hand, tempted to grab it to reassure him, but I didn't want to make the situation harder than it already was. "How long are you going to be in town?"

"I have some things to sort out, but I don't know."

"So…. I guess this is..."

Before I had a chance to finish, Oliver had slid his arm around my back and pulled me towards him. Not that I wanted to finish that sentence, saying goodbye was too formal... too permanent. I shut my eyes and leaned my head against his chest as he rested his head on top of mine. My arms rubbed up and down his back as I tried to come up with a good reason for him to stay, but in true personal fashion, I took the selfless way out and stood there. In fact, we both just stood there, listening to the wind blowing in our ears, and the effortless silence that filled the air.

I didn't even realize that I had started crying until he backed away and wiped a single tear from my cheek. For what felt like forever, we just stared into each other's eyes, trying to find the words to say.

Eventually, I gained enough courage to turn my head towards the farm. "You should probably..."

I was cut off by Oliver grabbing my arm. My heart skipped a beat as my head moved slowly to look back at him.

"Regardless of now, Chloe, I want you to know that I'll never forget this...and I'll never forget you."

The next thirty seconds were a blur. I don't remember him letting go, I don't remember him getting in his car or even taking off.

All I could think of was whether I should just collapse right there or if I should just screw the consequences and run after him. But of course, I did neither; I compromised and stood there like an idiot, stroking the place where he grabbed my arm.

Once I was no longer able to see his car, I shook my head and turned towards the farm. Life had to go on, and that feeling would go away... it had to go away. Because it wasn't just my legs that were turning into mush... it was me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The feeling never went away. An entire week alone at the Talon and the butterflies refuse to leave. I thought going back to the Daily Planet would help things, but Lois had convinced Tess that I needed another week off and Tess actually agreed with her for once.

I knew what Lois was doing; this is what I did to her when she refused to admit her feelings to Clark. However, I at least had the decency of letting them be together and it was only for an hour. Part of me wanted to go to Metropolis, give Lois a piece of my mind and continuing working, but I had no way of getting there. My car was still in the shop, I couldn't justify paying the fare for a two hour taxi ride, Lois had Clark wrapped around her little finger, and I didn't want to inconvenience anyone in Smallville.

So I was reduced to deliberating my decision at the Talon; like house arrest only with good coffee. Tammy was my only friend in the scenario, but even she was telling me that it was for my own good.

To make matters worse, even Mother Nature was on Lois's side. It rained almost all week and I was almost convinced that I would have to live through another power outage.

On the positive side, I had been brushing up my cooking skills. It reminded me of him, the creativity and the 'creativity' of home-cooked meals. It was a bittersweet feeling, but the only facet of that week that I had truly embraced. The rest hurt too much.

Not that I didn't have reminders of his visit to Metropolis as I skimmed the front pages of the Daily Planet. I felt like a jealous ex-girlfriend checking to see if he was going out like he used to. But he wasn't, and I wasn't sure how to react to that.

Sure, there were questions on where he had been since arriving to Metropolis, but he wouldn't cave. He wouldn't show his hand on what his actions would be, only that he 'was working on merger-related issues' throughout the week and they would just have to wait for the press conference for answers.

That was today. That was a couple hours ago.

At this point, he was probably heading back to Star City on private jet, back to his high-class life, and would soon forget the week we shared. He said that he wouldn't forget, but I knew better.

People left me, forgot me, or ignored me. It was inevitable.

But for some reason, it hadn't hurt this much, not even with Jimmy, and that almost made me feel worse. Jimmy had been a shock, he had _died_. Meanwhile, I had only seen a glimpse of Oliver and I knew he was leaving. So why did it hurt this much?

I sighed deeply and started to put the final touches on my sauce. As I checked on the water for my pasta, someone unlocked the door. I brought my head up to see Lois, who looked worn out from her day at work.

"You're home early."

Placing her purse down before closing the door, Lois tried a smile. "My story kind of rewrote itself thanks to some new developments."

"What are you writing on again?"

Pouring herself a glass of water, Lois weaved her hand through her hair as she replied flatly, "Oh... you know... I'm covering the business section for Frank for tomorrow's issue. Corporate dilemmas, problematic decisions etcetera."

I chuckled momentarily as I stirred the sauce. "You sound completely _thrilled_, Lois. Is it not Blur-related enough for you?"

After chugging her water, Lois walked across the room and fired up her laptop. "I took this assignment to see if I could set my focus elsewhere, especially considering recent events."

"Clark did tell you that he has a stash of all the articles you wrote about him, right?"

Lois paused for a moment, and I could tell the wheels in her head were turning. "He didn't... but no worries, this was a one-time thing. Now that I have the inside scoop, I'm the perfect person to cover the Blur, don't you think?"

The lid started clattering, so I quickly lifted it to prevent water from boiling over. "Sorry."

"I can't believe you're cooking again."

"We've survived on take-out for too long. It's about time we enjoyed some real food."

She let out a half-smile and pointed her thumb to the door. "I got pizzas coming, figured we could use a girl's night in."

"That sounds great; I can save this for another time." I turned off the stove elements. "Any chance of a girl's night _out_ soon?"

"After the weekend, you can do whatever you want, but right now, there's something you have to see." She looked back at her laptop momentarily and sighed.

"What is it?" I could tell something was going on, Lois seemed nervous.

Lois bit her lower lip as she inserted her USB in her computer. "You have to promise me that you'll watch the entire thing."

"Why?"

She finally looked up at me and said, "Can you trust me?"

"Sometimes, but right now that makes me doubt you more." I began to walk towards her when I heard Oliver's voice coming from the computer, so I headed to the door. "That would be why."

Lois stopped the video and then grabbed my arm. "Please, after this I won't say a word."

"You won't Lois and you know it!"

There was a knock at the door and I was about to open it when Lois yelled, "One minute," and dragged me over to the computer. "Just watch it Chlo. You need to hear what he says on this. After this, you can go back to your regularly scheduled life. I'll call off everything."

I sighed, wanting to give in, but not like this. "How long is it?"

"Two minutes, probably even less. I'll pay the delivery boy, and we'll have fun tonight."

I pointed my finger at her face. "Two minutes... and that's it."

Saluting me, she said, "Aye Aye cuz."

I walked back over to the computer and stared at his face, frozen on the screen. I pulled the time bar to the beginning and hesitatingly held the cursor over the play button. Taking a deep breath, I clicked the mouse pad and listened as he spoke:

_He looked up and down the group of journalists and flashed a smile. "Hello everyone. Thank you for coming today."_

_His eyes softened as his focus appeared to wander for a moment before he cleared his throat and continued his speech. _

"_Today, I was supposed to be reading this speech saying how sorry I am about letting go of thousands of Queen Industries employees. We all know that you would write how heartless I am and if I really cared, I would act like it. The truth is, I've been afraid of letting everyone down. I have always cared about this company, but I've been so satisfied with the status quo that I haven't always made the right decisions. When I heard the figures, I wanted to do something about it, but I thought it was out of my hands."_

Then I saw him smile again, this time was different. This was the smile I had gotten used to seeing.

"_Then I met someone who wasn't afraid to hold back their opinion of me. They told me that it was time I started earning your respect instead of expecting it. I got so used to being a figurehead that I forgot that this was my company... my decision. To this person, you know who you are... thank you for showing me that."_

I paused the video for a moment. Oh no... was Lois right? I wanted to quit watching, but I promised Lois, so I clicked to continue watching.

He looked up with a confident gaze, more confident than I had ever seen him.

"_During my time in Kansas, I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the workers from outside of Metropolis. These men and women roll up their sleeves dedicating themselves to an earnest day of work or they drive the two hour distance just to pay the bills. These are people who deserve their jobs, these were people that stood by my parents when they built this company, and it's my turn to stand by them."_

Oliver took a quick breath and stared at the podium before speaking again.

"_I haven't been the CEO that you wanted me to be, and while I will never be my parents, I'll do everything in my power to ensure that Queen Industries employees get the treatment they deserve. There will be some layoffs, but I won't be announcing any today. There has to be a better solution without so many people losing their jobs, and I will find it. I won't leave until I do."_

Then chaos broke out. Journalists were pushing the microphones closer and each one wanted to be the first question. What surprised me was who was able to ask the first question. Clark. I guess Lois wasn't alone in covering this story.

"_Why the sudden change of heart? Why now?"_

_Oliver smiled at Clark before looking back up at the crowd. "Sometimes it takes the right moment for a person to realize their mistakes... Thank you. That'll be all."_

The video stopped as he began to leave the podium, but I couldn't take my eyes off it.

_I won't leave until I do._

Those words haunted me. He was supposed to go back... he had to go back. I couldn't deal with seeing him at the Planet, and I couldn't handle the society girls banter about who his next conquest was.

Oliver had gotten to me. It hurt to admit, but it was the truth.

All my senses had left me. The only thing I could feel was my racing heartbeat as I looked at my trembling hands through blinking eyes. I couldn't even smell the pizza in the apartment.

That reminded me that Lois was probably waiting for a reaction... granted my silence probably did that more than anything.

So I tried to regain my composure and said softly, "Alright Lois, I'm ready for it, so just... spill."

No response, a shocker considering it was Lois. Then it hit me.

"I see, you're giving me the silent treatment so that I can spill my heart out to you about him. It's not happening Lois... so just forget it."

It was still silent, not a word, a movement or even a sound.

Placing my hands on the edge of the table, I sighed. "Fine, just this once and we can forget all about it."

I refused to turn around and face her because I was sure that if I did, I would lose it. "I'm not going to lie, I miss his smile... his warmth... and the way he knew exactly the way I was feeling even if I didn't."

I walked over to look out the window and watch the surging rainstorm.

"He made living without electronics or take-out entertaining. For that week, it wasn't about the next story, or who needed to be helped... it was about two people getting past each obstacle put in front of them. Getting past all the reasons nothing should happen and enjoying the moment even though you know that it won't last... that it can't last. Yet you push for each day, hoping that maybe you did enough to change their mind. But you're still scared because you're not used to this happening... in fact, it's never happened to you before and you're not sure how to react to it, and..."

Realizing how I let myself get carried away, I stopped talking momentarily. "Even though he's staying in town, it doesn't make a difference... he's got more important things to do." As I turned around, I added, "So I hope that means you're willing to stop talking about..."

I froze in place when I noticed that Lois was nowhere to be found and there was someone else who had heard my confession. There he stood, with a slight, simple grin on his face. So much for the delivery boy.

"Oliver," I finished.

"Lois told me to give you this."

It wasn't the sentence I was expecting, but I slowly walked up to Oliver to grab the piece of paper in his hand, which contained a familiar phrase written in Lois' writing.

_Don't do anything I wouldn't do, cuz._

It was her catchphrase, yet I never understood it. Lois had no limits, while I, on the other hand, had plenty. High fences and low trenches, I was content with hiding from the world while having the secondary by-line. With him... I'd be the face of the front page.

So, when she writes, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," while he's standing in front of me, what's she's really saying is, "You like him, so I'm making you do something about it"... or in simpler terms... Enjoy payback, cuz.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I crumpled up the note in my palm and tossed it behind me.

"So safe to say you heard all of that."

Oliver nodded, gesturing his hand towards the door. "Lois slipped out once the video started."

Bringing my gaze to his face on the computer screen, I smiled remembering his words. "Where did that speech come from?"

"I made it up on the stand, ready to make the speech and face the backlash. Then, for a moment, I thought I saw you in the crowd. You were shaking your head and you turned to walk away. It was then that I realized what I was doing. I remembered what you said, about earning my good press... and rolled with it."

"So the only difference between yesterday and today is that instead of letting advisors running your company, you let an inexperienced journalist run your life?"

Oliver chuckled before responding, "Something like that. However, I'm hoping to earn the respect of my employees and not just the press. "

I grinned. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."

"It means more than you know."

After biting my bottom lip, I said, "Well... I appreciate you stopping by... it was nice to see you again."

"Do you want me to leave?" I could see the disappointment in his eyes, but it never crossed my mind that he came by to do more than just say goodbye or thanks.

"Um... you don't have to... it's just that...like I said, you probably have more important things to do."

"I didn't before Lois told me to stop by."

My eyes widened as I took a step back. "Oh."

"But no one's forcing me to be here Chloe."

Raising an eyebrow, I took a couple more steps backwards. "You sure? Knowing Lois, she probably barred the door."

Closing the gap, Oliver grinned. "Good."

"Excuse me?"

"Forces you to face this." He reached out for my hand to stop me, but I quickened my pace, afraid of what might happen if I let him touch me.

Finally stopping within inches of the wall, I bowed my head. "I did face it... I had all week to face it." Peering up, I asked, "You didn't help her plan this did you?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I've been stuck here for the past week. She took away ever possible option of me leaving."

He quickly shook his head. "I hadn't seen Lois since leaving the farm. She somehow convinced my publicist to let her through and she told me what you said to her."

"Which was?"

"Something that you'll deny the moment I say it."

Initially, I started to panic, because Lois could have told him one of many embarrassing things, but I remembered nothing could top the confession he just heard, causing his words at the conference to ring in my ear.

"What's keeping you here? You could handle things from California, why would you stay in Kansas?"

"The truth?"

"If you don't mind."

He sighed before looking at me once again. "Face-to-face is a lot easier than conference calls, but even if I hadn't made the decision to re-examine the scenario, I'm not sure I could have left Metropolis."

"Why?"

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but instead he gestured in my direction.

"Me?"

"There's something here, you just admitted to it."

Averting my eyes from him, I looked towards an empty corner in the room. "But, your life is in Star City... it's your home."

"Despite what the papers say, Star City hasn't felt like home in a long time."

"Look Oliver, this is…"

"Something I don't want to give up so easily. I feel comfortable around you Chloe, and I don't want to lose you." He brought his hand up to cup my chin, trying to get me to look at him, but I squeezed my eyes shut, still unable to face him yet.

However, I managed to admit, "I don't know if I want to lose you either."

Oliver dropped his hand and took a couple steps back. "I'm not looking for a full-blown relationship Chloe. I'm not looking for anything you're not willing to give. Sure, the press will likely print something, but I'm willing to wait for you if that's what it takes."

I didn't know what I was thinking, maybe I wasn't, but when I saw the slight defeat in his eyes, I quickly closed the distance between us as I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.

Once he realized I was serious, he put his arms around my waist and returned the kiss. As it lingered, I could feel his arms tightening around me as I felt lips slowly part.

He backed me up against the wall and lifted me up to level the field. Eventually breaking apart, gasping for air, we leaned our foreheads together and smiled at each other.

Oliver broke the silence. "What was that?"

I was so dazed that I didn't know how to answer that question. "That... was something I had to do."

He lowered me back down and took a step back. "Something you'd be willing to do again?"

I thought for a moment, the moment of being in his arms and letting go of everything. I felt alive, like I belonged there. Slightly tilted my head, I dryly remarked, "I don't know. Let me think about it. I mean..."

Oliver cut me off by pushing my lips towards his. I guess I should have seen that coming, but he let go of me soon after and gave me some space.

"Baby steps."

"Thank you." I looked around the apartment momentarily, as it suddenly felt a lot less empty with Oliver around.

"You okay?"

Shaking from my reverie, I smiled. "Yeah, but I put my cooking on hold because Lois said she had pizzas coming. You wouldn't actually happen to have pizzas would you? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

He followed me to the stove with narrowed eyes. "_You're_ cooking?"

Looking back slightly at him, I shrugged. "I had to do something."

Oliver walked around me and dipped his finger in the sauce. "Let's see what we have, shall we?" After cleaning off his finger, he smiled in approval. "Not bad, Sidekick."

I poured the pasta into the water, which was still surprisingly warm. "Oh come on, I thought you were going to stop calling me that?" Granted, it _was_ growing on me.

I turned to get some peppers out of the fridge, when he pulled me in front of him. "Get back here."

I grabbed the wooden spoon from the spoon rest and began stirring the pasta when he placed his arms over mine. After a minute, he closed the distance between us, and I found myself holding back the gasp as a result of feeling his body's warmth on my back.

As the night went on, I have to admit, we got a little silly. In fact, I don't think I committed as many romantic clichés before that night: spreading sauce on his clothes and on his nose, feeding each other pasta, and even throwing bubbles as we did dishes.

It's funny; you'd think we'd known each a lot longer than a week. But we knew each other better than we could have imagined. Sure, not all of our deep and dark secrets came out while at the farm, but we had time for that.

I pulled the bottle of scotch back out and poured it into a couple glasses. I downed my first glass quickly because part of me was still a little bit nervous. Unfortunately, Oliver saw me and let out a chuckle.

"Don't drink too much. You have to drive me home."

Raising an eyebrow, I handed his glass while pouring more into mine. "How did you get here?"

"You know the delay on your car?"

Of course I did, the better question was how he knew. "Oliver... what did you do?"

With a grin on his face, Oliver settled on the couch. "I may have taken it to a junk yard."

"Explains why Bryan had been avoiding Tammy." I saw Oliver's expression change, so I asked, "What?"

"She knew exactly what was going on, but she had to be here for you."

I punched his arm lightly. "You big liar. You did help Lois."

Oliver grabbed my arm to pull me onto his lap. "Actually, I had no idea about what she was doing. I had planned to stop by... Lois just gave me an easy way in."

I shifted my body off his lap and brought my legs up on the couch. Oliver brought his arm around me to bring my head closer to his chest and I was almost ready to relax when I realized he didn't exactly answer my question. "So wait... if my car's in the shop and you don't have a car... how...?"

He didn't say anything; he didn't have to as I saw the sparkle from the silver keys falling on my lap. I picked them up and blinked a couple of times, trying to come to any other conclusion other than the obvious.

"You bought me a car?"

"It's the least I could do." The way he said it made it sound like he bought me a pack of gum, but I knew there was no way I could refuse it.

It was a gesture that left me speechless for a couple of minutes. "I... I can't give you anything back."

His finger moved a loose curl from my eyes before he kissed the side of my forehead. "You gave me everything I could have wanted."

I tried everything not to roll my eyes, but it was useless. "Okay... that was bad."

"Admit it... it worked."

I held up my glass and said, "To stupid clichés," before titling it back to finish the remaining scotch in the glass. Unfortunately, it caught me a little off-guard, so I started coughing.

Oliver laughed as he took the glass from my hand. "I thought I said to hold back on the alcohol."

Once I had regained my normal breathing pattern, I titled my head to look up at him. "Who says I have to listen to you? Besides, have you noticed the weather? I don't want to wreck my brand new car before I have a chance to show it off to Lois."

His eyebrow lifted in curiosity. "So let me see if I understand you correctly... you want me to stay?"

At this point, I knew I had said too much, but it was what I wanted, even if I didn't really want him to know that. Looking outside at the rain, I whispered, "Maybe."

"Something on your mind Sidekick?"

I tried to find the words, but I was never great at the sappy stuff. "I... never mind... it's stupid."

"I don't think that's possible."

Looking outside the window, I thought of the countless nights I had spent protecting Clark and everyone else and helping them advance their love lives. The truth is, I had been lonely since Jimmy died. Sure, I didn't really do anything to help my case, but having someone who saw me was a refreshing change for my status quo.

I looked at him, patiently waiting for me to speak. "I've spent so long by myself that..."

He interrupted me as he patted his hand on my knee. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere."

I smiled at him before we both turned to marvel at the storm brewing. After all, rain had played its part in all this.

Usually rainy days represent sadness, which maybe represented the day we met. The loneliness, the frustration and the misunderstandings that encompassed our lives.

However, rain is also responsible for making and maintaining natural life, so it was only fitting that it was responsible for replenishing our lives. All it took was a taking a chance... actually it took taking multiple chances, but that's not the point.

Both Oliver and I had become used to living life in the fast lane that taking time to appreciate the moment felt right.

Sure, there were things against us. Sure, I'd probably be front page news on the society page. But for once in my life, it didn't matter to me what tomorrow, or next week, or even next year would bring. As I stared up into his sleeping eyes, I couldn't help but smile. This wasn't about holding onto the past or being worried about the future. This was about now, living and breathing in the present, which has made me happier than I've been in years.

As the patter of rain hit the roof and streamed down the window, I nestled my head on his chest and let myself fall asleep against his shoulder.

* * *

_A/N: I am considering a sequel, but no guarantees... I have other fics I want to write first. Hopefully you enjoyed it!_


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Smallville, Romance