Before The First Kiss

Banner By: Andrea

Title: Before The First Kiss
Rating: PG-13
Author: Reportergirl13
Fandom: Smallville
Spoilers: Season 9 including ‘Salvation’
Pairing: Oliver/Chloe
Word Count: 2,225
Prompt: Aftermath of Oliver going of grid in ‘Salvation’







“They fell even before the first kiss...they just didn't realize it...”

Chloe stood in front of the main monitors, pulling up the files that had been saved when the signal linked up with the satellite. Her whole conversation with Oliver from the point he flicked the switch on had been recorded through their coms.

Behind her she could feel their eyes on her as she worked. No one on the team knew about her relationship with Oliver, but if she played these recordings…they’d know everything. She took a deep breath and turned toward them as she motioned to the main computer.

“The earth station schematics are simple and split up into several ducts. This one here is where Oliver entered. He followed this pathway and the last time the stations motion sensors picked him up he was here.”

She pointed to a spot on the screen using her hands to shift the image and enlarge it so they can see. Carter nodded and Victor titled his head to get a better look at the image as he spoke.

“Did you scan the rest of the facility for heat signatures after the sensor lost his signal?”

“Yes, nothing. I checked the whole grid ten times, several different ways.”

Carter cleared his throat and she shifted her gaze in his direction as he pointed to the screen.

“You said you have audio of the attack?”

Chloe hesitated, but nodded as she turned back toward the computer and pressed a few buttons before letting out a long breath and pushing play. The recording started and Chloe’s voice filling the room.

"Hey the link is up! Why don't you make your way home. I'm gonna see if I can access the building's schematics and find you a less cramped return trip.”

They heard papers rustling before her voice filled the room again.

“Ahh the station's motion sensors picked you up…Oh no Ollie you've got visitors, there's a whole swarm of them and they're closing in on you fast. Ollie you need to get out of there now!"

The team heard the panic in her voice and Victor glanced briefly at Jon in confusion as they heard metal crunching over the sound of Oliver’s heavy breathing.

"Chloe if they find the signal they'll trace me back to you, I gotta go.”

"No Ollie no!"

Chloe’s breath hitched as she listened to the recording, hand gripping the edge of the stand in front of her, knuckles white as she tried to hold the tears at bay. She would not cry in front of the team. This wasn’t about her. It was about doing a job. There was more banging and heavy breathing as Oliver’s panicked voice yelled for her.

"CHLOE!"

"OLLIE!"

More pounding of metal, a moment of silence and his voice was talking again, this time it wavered, but his tone was absolute.

"I love you!"

There was a brief pause and she closed her eyes as her earlier words rang out through the Watchtower, her heart breaking all over again.

"I love you too!"

They heard a short laugh, the sound happy if not slightly strained.

“I needed you to know…just in case…”

“Ollie don’t …”

Her voice was cut off by a strange high pitched noise. Oliver’s voice rang over it loud.

"Chloe they're not Kandorian!"

There was a struggle, Oliver’s grunts and painful cries as Chloe screamed his name in the background her sobs echoing through the tape before he whispered her name and then static before the recording just died. The silence that followed was deafening.

She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and turned to face their team. Six people stood there watching her with sympathetic eyes. Victor took a step forward.

“Chloe…”

She cleared her throat and her body tensed as she looked away from him, grabbed some papers from the desk, and spoke.

“Okay we need to break off into teams. Green Arrow is out there, but he isn’t our only worry. Someone needs to help take care of the damage that was done to the different cities and countries. We need to smooth things over.”

She looked back up as the team stood there glancing at each other, unsure of what to do. Dinah swallowed hard and tried to approach her next.

“Chloe you don’t have to do this…I can-”

Chloe cut her off frowning at the other woman.

“Don’t have to do this? The Kandorians just attacked half the world. We need to make sure all the fires are out, and people are safe. In order for people to be okay with our band of merry men they need to know we’re the good guys.”

“But Oliver…”

Chloe’s jaw clenched.

“I am fine. Oliver wouldn’t want us to lose focus.”

Carter glanced at Jon and they could see the tension in Chloe building. Carter stepped forward and spoke, making the two women break their staring match and glanced at him.

“Chloe’s right. Star Girl and I are here to help. We’ll fall in line just tell us what you need.”

Some of the tension ebbed out of her shoulders as she nodded.

“Dinah and Bart I want you guys to head back to all the places that were attacked by the Kandorians. Take the jet. As soon as A.C. gets in I’ll send him to you. Courtney and Jon I need you to try and see what happened with Clark. Since there haven’t been any more attacks I’m going to assume he was successful with the book of Rao, but let’s make sure.”

Her eyes drifted toward Carter.

“Carter and Victor you’re with me. Everyone link up your coms before heading out and make sure you keep me posted. Step by step guys, no one else is going off the radar is that understood?”

She glanced around at the team and they nodded. Chloe was glad Bart had joined them at the last minute. His speed would be useful. She turned toward the computer and started typing in commands. Carter watched the young woman work and a new found respect blossomed in his chest.

He’d sensed the pain coming off her in waves, saw the fear on her face as she listened to that recording with them. He knew what it was like to love someone so much that sometimes the fear of losing them outweighed everything else.

But she was a true hero. Pushing her pain aside for the moment and focusing on the bigger picture. Not many people would have been able to do that, but that’s what made her special. It’s what made her their beacon, their home…their Watchtower. He was honored to be working by her side.

Bart grabbed his ear piece quietly as he watched Dinah tear at things and fix her suit. He raised an eyebrow.

“Jeez, what’d the suit do to you?”

She glared at him and glanced over at Chloe who was talking to Victor.

“I was only trying to help.”

Bart sighed.

“I’m sure Chloelicious knows that, but right now the only way we can help is to do what she’s asking us to do. You know she’s right. We need to make sure everyone else is okay before we sit around here and have a heart to heart.”

Dinah glanced in Chloe’s direction one more time, worry on her face before turning back to Bart.

“She’s lost so much…I should have realized something was going on with them. They’re closer than any of us. She’s my friend…I just, I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

Bart nodded.

“None of us do, but everythin’s gonna be fine because the sooner we get things squared away the sooner we can join in on helping find the boss man.”

She sighed.

“You’re right.”

Bart grinned and winked at her.

“I’m always right senorita.”

He sped off toward the door as Dinah turned on her com. She called out to Chloe.

“We’re heading out.”

Chloe turned and nodded.

“Coms on?”

“Yup.”

“Be careful you two. I’ll send backup as soon as he gets here.”

“Roger that.”

Chloe watched them leave and her chest tightened, but she took a deep breath and focused her energy on something productive. If she stood there and thought about everything that could go wrong it was just drive her insane. No one else would go missing. Not on her watch.

Courtney and Jon were the next to leave. Before walking out the door he’d pulled her into a hug and she briefly allowed herself to take solace in his arms as he spoke quietly to her.

“We’ll get him back.”

She let go and he stepped back. She nodded, lips tight as he disappeared. She walked back over to the computers and started mapping out the route she wanted Victor and Carter to take when they went to the earth station to see if anything was left behind from the attack.

Victor was on the phone with A.C. filling him in when Carter came and stood beside her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and continued typing.

“I wanted you to know that as much as the Green Bean annoys me…I’ll do everything in my power to bring him back home.”

Her fingers faltered at his words. She met his eyes and she couldn’t keep the moisture from pooling in hers. Her voice was soft, but controlled. He could see the effort it was costing her to keep her emotions in check.

“Thank you.”

“You know…the last time we all worked together and I spoke to him, I didn’t expect him to actually listen to me. At least not so soon. He’s a stubborn one that archer of yours. I figured I wouldn’t see the two of you together for a while.”

Chloe looked over at him, his confession startling her. Confusion covered her face as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s just say he’s cared about you for longer than I think you realized.”

She swallowed hard and looked away from him. How long had she been ignoring his feelings because she was scared of letting him in? Of losing him? The emotions swirling inside of her were pushing to the surface and she didn’t know what made her do it, but she just started talking softly and Carter listened.

“We never meant for this to happen. It was just supposed to be fun…No stings…no complications, but…”

He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything just waited for her to finish.

“But somewhere along the line it just became more. I knew it shouldn’t happen, I tried to keep him out.”

“Why?”

“People like us…we don’t get the happily ever after. This isn’t a fairy tale.”

He nodded.

“You’re right it’s not…it’s better. This is real. Love isn’t easy. It hurts, rips into you and once you’ve found it you’re never the same again. But it’s also beautiful and one of the most powerful connections two people can have. Once you find the right person…they’re always a part of you. Whether you tell them you love them or you block them from your heart.”

Chloe tilted her head to the side and met his eyes. A single tear fell down her cheek as he continued.

“They’ll always be there right beneath the surface. Oliver made a decision. He knew where the two of you stood and even though he wasn’t sure what was going to happen, if he’d be okay, he was willing to risk the pain so you would know that you’re loved. So you’d know there’s someone out there who truly understands you like no one else could.”

She nodded a quite sob bubbling in her throat.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Carter gave her a sad smile.

“Because you need to face it. You need to realize and accept it so that when we bring him back you can make the declaration of your own free will without circumstance propelling you forward.”

Chloe watched the emotions on the older man’s face and on impulse she reached up and wrapped her arms around him. Tears leaking down her cheeks, voice barely a whisper.

“Thank you. You know for someone who doesn’t like my archer very much you sure seem to help him out quite a bit.”

When she pulled back he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah well, someone’s gotta teach the kid how life works and keeping you around is the first step to making him a better hero. I’ve seen you inspire the good in him. It’s completely selfish on my part.”

Chloe wiped her tears and chuckled lightly.

“I’m sure.”

Victor came over to them and made a face.

“We ready to go?”

Chloe nodded and handed them their ear pieces.

“You’re all linked up boys. Keep me posted on everything. First sign of trouble I’m pulling you both out. Got it?”

They nodded and she watched them go. She glanced at the floor plan on her monitor, eyes trained on the spot Oliver disappeared from.

“Don’t worry Ollie…we’re coming.”

They’d started this journey together and that’s the way they were going to finish it. Her and Oliver and their team against the world. They would find him, because there was no way that Chloe Sullivan was going to lose another person she loved.