Banner By: Andrea
Chapter 5
‘I’ve Had Enough’
Oliver’s body convulsed, eyes jerking open as he felt cool metal beneath his back. A loud beeping started and he could feel the obstruction of a large uncomfortable tube down his throat. He started gagging and attempted to move his limbs when someone with dark hair came over to him.
He could hear someone’s voice trying to calm him down as the tube was slipped from his throat. He turned his head slightly coughing loudly as he sucked in deep breaths his vision finally clearing enough to make out the things around him.
A warm hand pushed him until he was lying flat against the metal table and when he caught sight of Emil he renewed his attempt to get away from the older man, his hoarse voice yelling as he frantically batted away the doctor’s hands.
“Get off me…you lied…I know she’s real…I’m not crazy I’m not!” Emil glanced at the monitors noticing Oliver’s heart rate rising to an alarmingly high rate. He glanced over the railing of Watchtower and called out over his shoulder. “A little help here…Oliver’s awake!”
Oliver could hear several sets of feet pounding up the stairs and when he turned his head to the side he saw the monitors above him and the medical equipment surrounding him. He was at Watchtower…his body felt stiff but he fought through it as he tried to sit up.
“Oliver, you need to calm down, lay back please befor you give yourself some kind of heart attack.” He shook his head his breathing becoming labored as Bart appeared by his side a grin on his face. “Bossman! You don’t know how good it is to see you.”
Oliver’s leg kicked out knocking into the tray of instruments making them topple in Bart’s direction. He moved before any could hit him and he frowned. “Dude…what’s with bossman? Why’s he freakin’ out?” Emil sighed, tension in his shoulders as he tried to keep Oliver steady. “I don’t know.”
He looked down on Oliver and spoke in a loud, but calm voice. “Oliver…if you don’t stop I’m going to need to sedate you. Please calm down I don’t know what happened, but everything is okay now…” He snorted and shook his head.
“I don’t trust you…you lied…you said you had information about Chloe…I’m not crazy…I’m not…” his voice trailed off as tears pooled in his eyes. Emil glanced behind him as Clark, Lois, Dinah and Courtney made their way upstairs.
Emil glanced behind them an arched an eyebrow, “Where’s Chloe?” Lois motioned to the stairs. “She just went to use the bathroom…” The sounds of heels banging against the downstairs floor got their attention and they turned as Chloe glanced up a frown on her face. “What’s going on?”
Emil met her eyes. “Oliver’s awake.” The words were barely out of his mouth before she was barreling up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She pushed passed Dinah and Lois her heart slamming against her chest as she came to a dead stop in front of the table Emil had been keeping Oliver on.
She stared down on him and the second his eyes met hers his body went completely still, eyes widening. Water pooled in the depths of her green eyes as she walked towards him a bright smile on her face. She leaned forward cupping his cheek with a soft hand, thumb brushing against the skin under his eye.
A single tear slid down her cheek, but Oliver hands reached up a caught it mimicking the same motion as her hand with his own. Her face softened, voice warm. “Hey they hero…I was beginning to think maybe I didn’t make it back in time…”
He opened and closed his mouth as the team watched them closely. He blew a long breath out, voice filled with emotion as he spoke. “God you’re beautiful…” Chloe chuckled through her tears and shook her head. She opened her mouth, but he cut off her words. “You’re real…”
The smile left her face as she swallowed hard and nodded one of her hands running through his hair. “Yes, I’m real.” He nodded his body relaxing as he attempted to keep his eyes open. She leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his forehead.
“Don’t fight it Ollie…get some rest.” He shook he head and she saw the panic settle in his eyes. She shushed him gently to calm him. “I promise I will be here when you wake up…” He studied her expression for a minute or so before his eyes started to flutter shut.
She took a deep breath and turned to Emil. “Well…how are his vitals looking? Is he going to be okay?” The dark haired man went over to the read outs on the machine as he spoke softly. “He was out longer than everyone else…”
Chloe let out a frustrated sigh. “I know that…and that wasn’t my question.” Emil glared at the young woman in front of him. “I’m doing the best I can with the information you’ve given me…if you have anything else you feel you can share now’s the time to do it…there’s only so much I can do with half truths Chloe…”
She glanced at Oliver’s pale face before turning back to Emil. “You already know everything…do you really think I’d hold out on something that could help him?” The doctor sighed and shook his head voice soft. “No, I don’t…I’m sorry. Things are looking better than they were…let’s give him some time to rest.”
She nodded as Emil motioned for them all to head downstairs so he could finish taking care of Oliver as he slept. Chloe followed everyone downstairs, the silence surrounding them was deafening. Dinah pursed her lips before breaking the silence.
“I should head out…thanks again Chloe…you’re timing as always is perfect.” She chuckled lightly as she moved in hugging the taller blonde. When she pulled back she waved saying her goodbyes to the rest of the team before heading out.
Bart was next, pulling Chloe into a huge hug and telling her how much they’d all missed her. She smiled her thanks before he said goodbye to Lois, Clark, Tess and Courtney. Seconds later there was only a breeze left where he was standing.
Lois glanced around the room and rolled her eyes as she addressed Chloe. “We should probably get going too cuz…” She pulled Chloe into a hug, arms tightening around her baby cousin as she spoke softly by her ear. “Thanks again…for the necklace.”
She pulled back and Chloe smiled as she squeezed her arm. “You’re welcome Lo’…congratulations again you guys…I’m so happy for you.” Lois smirked. “Mmm well you better be in town long enough for the wedding…or this time I’m hunting you down.”
She gave Chloe a stern look and the blonde just shook her head, her smile not reaching her eyes as she gazed over her shoulders briefly to where Emil and Oliver were, before turning back to Lois. “Trust me Lo’…I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay…”
Warmth filled Lois’s face as she nodded. “Good…cause we missed you.” Chloe’s face softened, “I missed you guys too.” Clark smiled at Chloe pulling her into a one armed hug before moving back next to Lois and placing a hand against her lower back.
“We’re glad you’re home.” She nodded. “Me too.” Clark motioned for Lois to follow him and as they headed to the double doors, Lois called over her shoulder. “Oh and as soon as Oliver is better we expect the two of you to come over! As the maid of honor and best man we so have planning to start.”
Chloe chuckled as Clark dragged Lois out of the room. She turned to face Tess and Courtney eyes studying the red head closely. Tess pursed her lips crossing her hands over her chest as she addressed Chloe. “Had I known what you were planning…I wouldn’t have helped you.”
She nodded, a small smirk slipping onto her lips. “I know…it’s why I didn’t tell you.” Tess returned her smirk before nodding and heading to her desk where she’d left her jacket. “Well I can see things are in good hands, so I’m going to head home for the night.”
Chloe nodded and when the doors shut behind Tess she turned to the teenager standing in front of her. She tilted her head nudging the younger girl, voice soft when she spoke. “You wouldn’t mind keeping me company while I wait for Oliver to wake up…would you?”
Courtney’s face brightened slightly, “I’d really like that.” Chloe gave her a warm smile as she wrapped her arm around the younger woman and directed them towards the kitchen. “Me too.” She glanced over her shoulder one more time before releasing the tension in her body. With Oliver out of the woods she could finally take a minute and relax…from this point on everything was going to be okay.
Oliver was in the process of talking to Emil when the scent of vanilla and coffee met his nostrils. He turned his head and there she was making her way into the room with a small tray. He caught her eyes and she grinned as she slipped onto the bed next to him, moving the tray over his body.
Emil stopped speaking when he realized Oliver was no longer listening and he cleared his throat. They glanced over at him and he gave his employer a reprimanding look. “Remember what I said…take--”
“It easy…I know Emil. I heard you. I’m already starting to feel better…” He nodded as he packed up his bag. “Call me if you need anything.” They nodded and he smiled before leaving the couple alone. When Oliver was sure Emil was gone, he shifted turning his body towards Chloe.
He studied her for a few minutes and took note of the way her teeth sunk into her bottom lip and how her hands couldn’t seem to stop moving. She was nervous. He gave her a small smile before taking on of her hands in his, speaking softly.
“It’s about that time professor…you knew it was coming…I need to know what happened.” She nodded folding her legs under her as she took a deep breath. “I came back to town with Martha…she helped me navigate my way through the government so I could infiltrate the VRA. I needed to break the system down from inside. And if I didn’t go in an manually erase the fact that I ever existed--”
Oliver cut her off his hand squeezing hers tightly, “Then when they hacked into our lives they would have seen that we knew each other and your cover would have been blown…” Chloe smiled. “Exactly.” She let out a heavy breath and continued speaking as she glanced down at their entwined hands.
“Back in the day Lex had this…dream drug…if you breathed it in you were trapped inside your worst nightmares in your head. He created a cure with the help of Clark’s blood…somehow the military got their hands on the old formula and created a new serum…or drug from that prototype. The men who did it…they were infected by the darkness.”
She paused and glanced up at him. “That crystal at Carter’s funeral…the beam of light knocked out anyone in like a 100 mile radius…and when you were knocked out a gas was released that exposed you all to the chemical. It took me longer than expected to get rid of the high ranking members of the VRA so when I got there with help, you guys had already been exposed to the chemical for longer than I would have liked.”
She licked her lips to moisten her throat and Oliver stayed quiet letting her get everything out before he commented. “I was able to get you back to Watchtower and Emil and Tess helped me set up a mini-hospital if you will. Clark was the first awake…then Bart…Zatanna…J’onn…AC….Dinah…Courtney and finally Lois. It took you three days to wake up…you had us all terrified.”
Oliver frowned, “I don’t understand…what exactly did the chemical do?”
Chloe shrugged. “It was different for everyone. It invades your senses, pinpoints your biggest weakness or biggest fear and attacks you through that. The thing is…there is no cure. The person who’s in the sleep state has to wake themselves up. If they don’t figure out what’s going on and wake themselves up…they die. That’s why it was so important to destroy not only the drug but the organization that created it.”
Oliver pursed his lips as he sat there and digested everything she was telling him. He had been angry at the woman sitting next to him for a few weeks now. He’d sworn to himself that if she came back to him…when she came back to him that he would give her a piece of his mind for the decisions she had made.
But now with her sitting next to him, small hand clasped in his, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. After everything he’d been through, forgetting her, getting a look at the person he was without her…what was the point of pretending he wasn’t happy to have her back by his side.
Did he wish she hadn’t of left? Sure, but what’s done was done. It wasn’t like they could go back and change things. The only thing they could do was move forward and that’s exactly what Oliver was prepared to do.
He looked up to find her studying his expression carefully and he arched an eyebrow at her. “So…is it taken care of?” Chloe gave a small jerk of her head. “Yeah…you and the team no longer need to worry about the VRA…”
He kept his face neutral as he nodded. “Good…and you?” She gave him a startled look, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Me what?” He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a light kiss there and when he heard her sharp intake of breath he grinned.
“Where does this leave you? She looked away from him and shrugged, voice light. “I did what needed to be done…my part in everything…it’s over.” Oliver bit his bottom lip as he watched her tug at the comforter. He lifted an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.
The action seemed to startled her and when she turned her head to face him. He gave her half a smile and tilted his head in amusement. “This means you can come home then…right?” Chloe’s eyes watered as she gazed at him, voice barely a whisper. “Do you want me to come home?”
He rolled his eyes, humor in his voice. “Oh, I’m sorry did that come out as a question? What I meant was, you’re coming home.” Chloe chuckled lightly as he cupped her face in his hand, thumb brushing against her bottom lip before he leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against hers.
She groaned and pulled herself up onto her knees caressing his lips with hers as he coaxed her lips open and deepened the kiss. When they pulled back he mated their foreheads together, his hand at her neck as they tried to catch their breath.
“I’ve been waiting to do that, since I left Watchtower to hook up that stupid satellite.” Laughter bubbling in her throat as she pressed another light kiss to his lips. “God I missed you Ollie…” He shook his head. “Not nearly as much as I missed you Sidekick.”
He pulled back to look at her, hand still on her lightly. “You’re never leaving me again do you hear me? I’m hiding all helmets, wands, fairy dust…anything that has the potential to make you take off in the dark of the night.”
He let go of her quickly so he could move the tray she had brought in the bedside table before turning back to her, mischief in his eyes. “You have been a very naughty girl miss Sullivan…” Chloe smirked as he pounced on her rolling her body under his.
He brushed her hair away from her face and he stopped her when she leaned up to kiss him. She gave him a questioning look and he licked his lips before speaking quietly. “I love you…I need you to know that I didn’t say it out of the heat of the moment…I knew I loved you before then…but I didn’t think you were ready to hear it and then when everything happened…I couldn’t not tell you.”
She nodded tears once again gathering in her eyes as she cupped his cheek. “I love you too…I didn’t realize how much until…” Her voice trailed off and he kissed her palm. Brown eyes searching green.
“Maybe we needed this…maybe everything that happened is what’s going to help this relationship survive. If we get past what just happened…then we can face anything…together.” She swallowed hard and nodded. “Together.”
He bent his head down and kissed her neck lightly and before he could stop himself, the words were falling from his mouth, hot breath caressing her skin. “Marry me…” She froze and lifted his head from her neck, her eyes wide. “What?”
He smiled, his voice steady. “Marry me Chloe…I know it’s not elaborate…and it’s not planned and we aren’t at some fancy dinner--” His words were cut off by her lips. She pulled away a minute or so later completely breathless as a large grin broke out on her face. “Yes…”
Oliver opened and closed his mouth several times and she laughed. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy. “I…you said yes..” Her laughter only grew louder as he gazed down on her. Humor dancing in her eyes as she stroked his back lightly. “Did you only ask because you thought I’d say no?”
His eyes widened and he shook his head to reassure her. “No, of course not I just…thought it would take more convincing…I even had a little speech prepared…” He smirked and shifted back so he was no longer on top of her. They laid on the bed side by side as he placed a light kiss on her shoulder.
Chloe smiled as a thought hit her. “Lois is going to be so pissed if we get married before she does.” Oliver shrugged as he kissed a path to below her ear. “We can elope…” She titled her head to give him better access. “Hmm that sounds promising.”
He paused in his actions and lifted his head to glance down on her bright eyes and smiling face. She ran a thumb over his chin and spoke softly, “Can I ask you something?” He kissed her finger and grinned. “You can ask me anything.”
“How did you do it…how did you know it was fake and manage to pull yourself out?” He hesitated briefly as he caught her eyes, voice serious. “You helped me…in that reality…you never existed…no one knew who you were…but somehow you were always there…in the shadows…everywhere I went…everything I saw…it was like you were following me…guiding me home.”
She swallowed heavily to moisten her throat and nodded. “I’ll always be there to guide you home…you know that right?”
“I do now…and I’ll always be here to do the same…” And when he leaned down pressing his lips against her in a passionate kiss Carter’s words reverberated through his head. Memory strengthens as you lay burdens upon it, and becomes trustworthy as you trust it…Once he had trusted his memories they had led him back to Chloe …who had finally managed to make her way home to him.
They had a long road ahead of them, and he knew things wouldn’t be perfect, but all that mattered to Oliver was that she was there, safe, in his arms, and he was never letting her go again.
What a great fic
ReplyDeleteI'm happy he found the way back home :)
Rereading this amazing fic
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