Smallville Unacceptable

(NOTE: This is a story for Chloe/George and Chloe/Oliver fans. Now Chloe and George got engaged during the Apocalypse AU episode and hearing that he (Carlo Marks) was returning, had me pretty excited and hyped up. So this was written before the Warrior episode so, Steven, as he's called here, is a real adult - no kid, no magic. However later in the actual show we find out about the kid catastrophe and that felt like a kick in the gut after what the writers did to Chlavis. (Yeah my OTP got dragged through the mud. Good times huh?

To the Chlollie fans - I love you guys and I love your enthusiasm over your ship. I'm not a shipper (romantically that is, more like Teammates - Professionals, etc) and I had my heart set on Chloe/George after Chloe/Davis).

Chloe Sullivan had woken another morning to find that she was yet again, Alone.

Some random witchy woman named Saunders and her minion Petersen had told her that her life would be so wonderful and her arc overreaching and into the depths of inspiration.

She did live an interesting life - full of her investigative endeavours, requitted and unrequitted loves, death threats, matyrdoms, sacrifices, hero-based co-ordinations and humanitarian services.

She remembered it was just yesterday they both professed their love and there she was backing away, needing space.

She had an answer, or at least she thought she did.

Oliver Queen.

When she first met him, she would literally crush on him in her head. She hoped her best friend Clark (first love gotten over) wouldn't use his x-ray vision to see into her mind. He was just WOW and unavailable. But the novelty had worn off - he was unavailable and belonged in the circle of the rich and famous - a place she had no need to be.

But all the shallow playboy and business deals were just a front. The guy was all green and hero. He was courageous with absolutely high moral standards, protecting others that couldn't defend themselves. Clark was like that too.

Maybe that's why she loved both of them. Except that Oliver she didn't feel for until he went through all the highs and lows of his morally challenged year. She had pulled him out of it with almost murderous consequences yet in the back of her mind, despite his gratitude she felt a bit off.

But she felt so off that it became normal and she buried herself in her work. She told herself that she and Oliver were teammates, that he was still pining after her cousin Lois and the boytoy of Tess Mercer.

For God's sakes she was still getting over Jimmy and she finally admitted it - Davis.

She had gotten up from bed and opened her little treasure chest. No fools gold in here except memories. She looked at Jimmy's ring and remembered how panicked he looked when he had proposed. But even Sinatra couldn't save them from the constant tensions that she thought was all her fault.

She knew the relationship was flawed and just when she was letting go of Clark and holding on to Jimmy, Davis came along. She had to avert her eyes and tell herself that the attraction was nothing more than a magnetic pull to his gorgeous personality, sweetness and self sacrificing nature. She would take Jimmy faults and all and make it work.

But it couldn't work and no matter how much Jimmy lashed out at Davis she knew that the turbulence of their relationship had started way before. She and Jimmy were on and off, on and off until the whole system crashed

She found herself absent mindedly holding the stick that remained of the chocolate lollipop heart Davis had given her when they decided to load up the car and never look back. She told herself she was leaving her life behind her to protect Clark but even she knew it wasn't true. She wanted to protect him too from the life he chose not to have but had anyway. She knew he tried everything and that she was his last hope. She was in love with him. Why she took so long to admit it, she didn't know but now it was too late to fix anything.

So while Clark was out playing house with Lois she buried herself in her work. Oliver would be her companion but not her confidant. Not yet anyways.

And just when she thought the sky was falling - well a smaller toy version of Saturn and yet large enough to give her brain damage was about to drop from the ceiling - there alights Steven who dressed as Warrior Angel swoops down and saves the day. Except that he wasn't a real superhero (some other witchy woman, that same witchy woman who hexed her and turned her into Lois, made him a guy with powers). But Chloe wasn't discriminating, he did save her life.

Their friendship started slowly and she could see in him a little bit of Clark, a bit of Davis and a bit of Jimmy. He was like Clark or who Clark used to be because she remembered how much he valued his family. Clark was adopted and Steven's dad had died when he was 2 and his mom remarried when he was 18 and off to college. He was like Davis because he was a magnetic to the underdog - although Davis was a paramedic, he was a cop and yet they were both drawn to the areas where people were outcasted from society and got no help. Also he dressed like Davis too. Plus like Jimmy he was cute. Okay, he was damn cute.

So two years passed and she and Steven were getting serious. But she couldn't tell what was up with Oliver. She wanted to tell him deal - dammit - she sees him more that she sees Steven. They work together, tease, argue, makeup, crack jokes at each others expense. Chloe couldn't remember the last time she laughed. Oliver was full of himself and full of anecdotes that she didn't even know he had. Maybe the absence of Clark in her life brought that out in him. But she still felt saddened by his absence.

But she started seeing the looks - if she was unreadable, Oliver was an open book. She saw the smiles when she came to work early or stayed overtime. The frowns when she left or mentioned Steven. Then she put her foot down and told him to grow up. His response was to shrug it off.

Then later that week Steven had asked her to meet him at the corner of Brine and Paxton and just when she was about to turn the corner Oliver appears. She just thought it was coincidental that he was there at the same time. He needed to talk. She said okay and listened.

Chloe felt she needed an extra pair of ears or Clark's brain power. Oliver's words were coming a mile a minute and yet she understood every single one. He knew her for almost a decade - they knew where they were and how far they came. He admitted that you never miss the things you love until you lose them and he knew he was losing her. She didn't understand what he ment until he decided to grasp at the last straw and kiss her.

Chloe broke away, literally superspeed or wished she did, around the corner and bumped into Steven. She couldn't catch her breath and he was like honeywhat'swrong and she joked that he knocked the wind out of her.

Fastforward to later that day and they were back at her apartment. Steven had pulled out all the stops. Dinner, candlelight and his full attention. He was getting serious - it was two years and he felt that the intensity of their relationship meant something. He knew other people would have roles in her life and he wasn't insecure enough to let that bother him. He felt she was so blessed that she had people depending on her.

Steven had gotten down on his knees and proposed and Chloe couldn't answer. But Steven was in no hurry, wasn't going to push. He knew that so much had happened to her in so little time but he wanted to know he was always was now holding Steven's engagement ring that he told her to keep. It was gold and simple. She didn't get the time to answer because time had sped passed her and stolen him away from her. She remembered that night he proposed. After he left she just crawled into bed on her side, unable to sleep while replaying Oliver's words over and over in her head.

Yet she was back at work and Oliver was there apologetic and saying that he shouldn't have come on too strong. Chloe told him that maybe it was time he started really speaking his mind but for now they should get to work.

Before they both knew it, Oliver was already donning his Green Arrow suit and she was in Watchtower mode co-ordinating the JLA's every move. Apparently a gang had taken over a bank and JLA was in position. Then the cops came and Chloe could only think Steven!

The JLA knew they had to be careful since the cops thought they were working alone to get the criminals out and behind bars. And it was going well until Chloe heard Oliver exclaim.

BOMB.

Now Chloe felt herself watching two headstones that she demanded were side by side. She had directed her attention tbefore to the headstone of Jimmy Olsen and one erected as a memory headstone for Davis. But they were not side by side because even in death she knew the sad significance of the whole situation.

She heard it all - Oliver and Steven had worked together on the situation and while they saved everyone they couldn't escape.

Chloe held in her hand Oliver's mask and all she could think was hero.

She closed the chest and realised how fucked up her life was. It was damn unacceptable and she wasn't gonna let it get the last word.


End file.

Smallville