Her Essence

Banner By: Andrea
Title: Her Essence
Rating: PG-13
Author: Sxymami0909
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Mia-Centric implied Oliver/Chloe
Word Count: 2200
Warning: Angst

She glanced at herself in the full length mirror as she brushed her hands over the white satin dress, smoothing it down over her hips. Her hair flowed past her shoulders in unblemished, silky curls as the pearls settled against her chest glimmered in the afternoon sun.



There had been a time when she thought this day would never come. With everything she’d been through it just hadn’t seemed like it was in the cards…until she met him. One chance meeting had changed the entire course of her life.

Her eyes moved away from the mirror and gazed about the room. Everything was in order. People had been going out of their way to make sure today was perfect. She had everything she could possibly want or need…except for one thing.

Her eyes drifted to the thin platinum charm bracelet gracing her right wrist. It was her something borrowed. The delicate piece of jewelry held seven charms, one for each member of their team. As she tilted her wrist a glint of light shone off the charms and she swallowed hard.

She could feel her eyes watering and she looked away and back at the mirror wiping away the moisture before the tears could start. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She couldn’t cry. A light rapping on the door had her clearing her throat.

“Come in.”

He pushed open the door and the sight before him too his breath away. She looked stunning. The white dress settled against her body as if it was sewn especially for her, the small clips on each side of her hair keeping the curls from her face were subtle and beautiful.

He swallowed hard as his eyes came to rest on the bracelet she was wearing. He shut the door and moved into the room, smile held firmly on his face.

“You look amazing Mia.”

She gave him a shy smile.

“Thanks Ollie, is Bart already out there?”

Oliver let out a light chuckle and nodded as he turned her so she was facing the mirror once again.

“He is and looking quite anxious if I do say so myself.”

She laughed lightly as he shook his head before meeting her eyes through the mirror.

“I can’t believe it’s been ten years.”

“I know. To be honest I didn’t think you’d be able to put up with me for that long.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Please, you were stuck with me the minute I found you in that underground boxing ring.”

She nodded, but he could see that her smile didn’t reach her eyes. He frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

Hazel eyes brimming with tears met brown ones in the glass and Oliver knew. He shook his head a pleading look in his eyes as he spoke.

“Don’t…”

Her voice faltered and any semblance of happiness he’d heard when she spoke before was gone.

“I have to…please Oliver. I’ve been holding onto this for three years.”

She watched his adams apple bob, jaw clenching as hollow eyes looked back at her. She turned so she was facing him, pain etched into every word she spoke.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I fought with you that night. I’m sorry that I ran out of the rehearsal dinner the way I did. I’m sorry she came looking for me. But most of all I’m sorry it was her and not me.”

Mia’s voice was barely a whisper by the end of her speech and Oliver wasn’t sure what to say. So many emotions swirled around him when he thought about that night. All the things that could have, should have happened.

But ‘what if’s’ wouldn’t change anything. He summoned his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep his body calm.

“It wasn’t your fault Mia. I’ve never blamed you…you know that.”

“I know…but I blame me.”

His brows furrowed at her confession. Three years and he’d never known that. He had thought she was healing. He thought everyone was healing…well except him of course, but he was wrong. Apparently that day was still very much with Mia.

“Why?”

She gave him an incredulous look.

“Oliver if it wasn’t for me she’d be here right now! She ran out in that ally after me. And when that guy pulled out his gun she took that bullet for me. It’s my fault you never got your happy ending…it’s my fault she’s not here today.”

Oliver pulled Mia into his arms as the tears came and he felt a sob bubbling in his throat as she gripped his suit jacket tightly. He refused to let it out though. Now was not the place or the time and Mia was upset enough. This was supposed to be her day.

“Shh…Mia nothing is your fault. You’ve known Chloe for years. You know once she makes up her mind about something there’s no reasoning with her. She did what she did because she loved you.”

He pulled back, hands cradling her face as he tried to make the twenty-six year old understand what he still wasn’t sure he fully understood.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Mia nodded as she sniffled.

“When I proposed to Chloe one of the things that made her say yes was you. The thought of us all being a family…it made her so happy. You might not have been her daughter, but she loved you as if you were. She would be so proud of the woman you’ve become. I am too you know.”

She let out a half laugh, half sob as he wiped away a stray tear. Her bottom lip quivered as fresh moisture pooled in her eyes.

“She should be here. I need her to tell me what to do…what to expect. She’s supposed to be here.”

“I know.”

He rubbed her back gently and there was another knock on the door. Before either of them could answer the door was pushed open and Lois poked her head in.

“It’s time.”

They nodded and Lois took a deep breath as she glanced between them. Chloe. That’s the only thing that could have them so upset on a day like today. She still couldn’t believe that it had been three years already. Lois had been through quite a bit in her thirty-seven years, but nothing had ever been as horrific as that day.

She sighed when she heard Oliver mumble that they’d be right there. She nodded and closed the door behind her before taking a deep breath, plastering a smile on her face, and heading back out to the guests.

Thinking about her cousin was not something she could do if she expected to get through the ceremony and reception today.

Mia wiped away another tear as she moved away from Oliver.

“Just let me clean off my face and I’ll be ready.”

He nodded.

“Take your time.”

She walked into the bathroom and when she shut the door Oliver leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut as his breathing grew heavy. His body bent at the waist as he tried to keep the tears at bay. It had been three years and still anytime someone mentioned Chloe it felt like he was being sucker punched.

The night before their wedding he and Mia got into an argument, Oliver couldn’t even remember what it was about, but she’d run off at the rehearsal dinner. Left the restaurant and took the back ally to go wherever it was she was going.

Chloe had followed her and came out right when a mugger had pulled a gun on Mia. Being the person she was, Chloe had moved forward pushing Mia out of the way as the gun went off. To this day that night was still pretty jumbled and Oliver couldn’t really remember everything.

But no matter how hard he tried he’d never be able to forget the amount of blood his hands were covered in, or the look on her face as she tried to make sure Mia was okay while she bled to death in his arms. The days leading up to the funeral he refused to believe she was gone.

He acted as if she had merely gone on a trip and postponed the wedding instead of canceling it. When reality had finally come crashing down on him he broke down. He had blamed himself for a while. And then he had blamed her.

From there it moved on to blaming Clark and Bart for not being fast enough or J’onn for not knowing what was going on at all times around them. He hardly made it through her funeral and even the press had given him some space to grieve.

He cried for three days straight. He didn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and by the third day he was so weak he could barely lift his body out of bed. On the twentieth day after Chloe’s death the strangest thing had happened. He woke up to the smell of her.

At the time he’d been confused. He slowly sat up in bed and there on the pillow next to him…her pillow sat a framed picture. He remembered lifting it off the pillow, tears pooling in his eyes as he glanced at it. It was one that was taken most likely by A.C or Victor.

They were in a park sitting on a blanket food spread in front of them and he had his arms wrapped around Chloe from behind. Next to them were Bart and Mia grinning at each other, faces full of happiness. It was in that moment that he had realized he hadn’t seen Mia since the rehearsal dinner.

Fear had immediately enveloped him as he willed his body to move. He got up, showered, shaved, ate more food that morning then he’d eaten in the past four days and went to find her. Mia had saved him. It was the thought of her and the fact that Chloe had sacrificed her life for Mia that brought him back.

If he laid around and wallowed in guilt and anger instead of making sure she was okay then Chloe would have died in vein and Oliver wouldn’t be able to live with himself if that happened. The click of the bathroom door opening had him standing up straight again.

Mia brushed the skirt of her dress and glanced up at him, small smile gracing her face. He gave her half a grin as his fingers gripped the cool metal in his pocket.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

“Yeah.”

He held out his arm and she closed the distance between them and linked her arm with his as he walked her out of the small room and towards the church. They stood in front of the closed doors as the wedding march started to play.

She swallowed hard, her heart skipping a beat and he squeezed her hand lightly.

“Don’t be nervous, Bart’s a good man. He’ll treat right…or I’ll shoot him with an arrow.”

She chuckled lightly as the doors were pulled open. They walked over the threshold into the church and down the aisle. When they reached the front Oliver kissed Mia’s forehead and gave her over to Bart who gave the older man a smile and nodded.

Oliver took a seat in the first pew from the alter, leaving the space next to him where Chloe would have been sitting if she were there empty. As the minister started to speak a light breeze blew around them. The smell of lavender and vanilla filled their senses.

Mia’s eyes watered as she glanced at Oliver to see if he smelt it too or if it was just her imagination. But if the look on his face was anything to go by he felt it. The breeze continued through the church passing Lois and Clark before reaching Dinah and the guys at the altar.

There was a murmur among the guests as all heads turned towards the stained glass window in the top left hand corner of the church. A stream of light filtered through the room landing directly in the empty seat next to Oliver.

Lois gripped Clark’s arm as tears came to her eyes. Dinah sucked in a deep breath as chills swept over her body. Victor, A.C and Bart looked over at Oliver who sat there eyes closed a hint of a smile on his face. A beautiful smile slipped onto Mia’s face as her soft voice broke the silence that filled the church.

“We can start…we’re all here now.”

Bart looked at his bride to be and relaxed. Mia looked calm, peaceful…happy. It was hard to explain, but as she stood there in front of her friends and family, Bart’s hands in hers, she knew with the utmost certainty that she wasn’t alone.

Chloe might not be there physically, but she was all around them. Her essence was in everything they did, every mission they went on, every innocent they saved, every time they protected truth and justice. She was a part of them always, in everything they did. And today would be no different.