Déjà Vu
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Oh shit. Odd words to think of when floating up out of peaceful slumber, wrapped in the arms of the still-sleeping, exhausted man you loved. She fit perfectly, she mused. His big body curved protectively, commandingly around her. They’d been busy, almost all night. After their shower, they’d barely dried off, wet skin, skidding and sliding over one another. He’d carried her to the bed, easing her down gently this time. The clean scent of soap on his skin was intoxicating, as she buried her face against his throat, breathing deeply of him. Their joining was slow and thoughtful, reveling in each other’s bodies. Never had she felt so loved and needed. They fell asleep afterward, wrapped in each other’s comfort. Then during the night, she felt his hands, warm and seeking, over her most intimate places, coaxing her, his mouth against her neck, whispering sweet seduction in her ear. Touching her, igniting a fire in her once more until she was fully awake, begging, pleading for him to ease the ache he’d created. And then, about an hour ago, just before the dawn, they made love once more. Oh shit.
Chloe shifted slightly, lifting her head from his shoulder to peer up at him. He was sleeping peacefully, and Chloe didn’t think he’d wake up any time soon. Truthfully she was exhausted as well, and sore, and sticky, and… she’d have to tell him.
Hopefully it was nothing to worry about. Yet. They’d simply got caught up in the flow of passion, missing each other, needing each other desperately. Chloe hadn’t thought at all about birth control. She’d been on the pill before her abduction, but since she’d had no recollection of being with Oliver, and certainly, oral contraception was not on Lex’s list of drugs to give her, she hadn’t been taking it for the past two months.
Chloe laid her head once more on his shoulder, biting her lip, her heart beat quickening. He must have sensed some change in her, because she was suddenly aware of his hands, sliding and caressing over her skin. His hand skimmed down her back, grasping her hip, pulling her closer against his body. She felt his lips and nose in her hair, nuzzling her as he made deep, sleepy noises of contentment. She couldn’t help but smile to herself. If anyone on earth ever knew the Green Arrow was a cuddler, it would be the end of his reputation. Trying to reconcile the tough as nails, bad ass hero in green leather with the man who was now using her as his own personal stuffed toy, almost made her laugh out loud. But it was true. Alone together in private, he loved to cuddle, and Chloe loved being the recipient of his affection. She ran a warm, smooth hand over the muscles of his chest.
“Mmmm.”
“Oliver,” she ventured softly, sliding her leg up and over his.
“Mmmm.”
“Ollie. I just thought of something…”
“Hmm.”
“Well, I just realized that I haven’t been on the pill in two months.”
“Hmm?”
“Which means that we’ll have to use condoms until I can get an appointment and have my prescription refilled.”
His voice was gravelly and thick with sleep. “Okay.” There was a short pause as though all she’d said had finally registered in his sleep-fogged brain. “Oh shit.”
“Yeah.”
He snuggled up closer, evidently of no mind to get out of bed or to think too much just yet. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “We’ll use condoms for now.” He lifted her hand to his lips, breathing a soft, lingering kiss to her palm, then placed her hand over his chest, holding it there. Chloe soon heard his soft, even breath once more, watched and felt the slow rise and fall of his chest and knew he’d fallen asleep. She wouldn’t worry about it now. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply and relaxed, joining him. She’d worry about it later.
* * * * *
Dr. Benson had disappeared. No bodies were found in the rubble of the Cloverdale facility, and Chloe wondered what had happened to him. She was sitting at her desk at the ISIS Foundation, getting a new file ready to hand over to the authorities with pertinent information about Cloverdale, and its ties to the research wing of Met U. The least she could hope for is a full-blown investigation of Met U board members. Lex might be a bit trickier. He was usually smart about covering his tracks and keeping his hands clean, but at minimum, he’d have investigators sniffing around him, and if nothing else, Chloe could glean some satisfaction from that.
Lex had been injured slightly, but his recovery was quick. He’d made it out of the underground passage with seconds to spare, suffering some minor injuries from flying debris.
“I see you’re back at work.”
Chloe looked up, startled to hear a familiar voice. She shivered, then recovered quickly, saving and closing up the file she was working on, and taking a defensive stance. She removed the flash drive from the computer, slipping it stealthily into her pocket. “Yeah well, no one can fire me from this job. What are you doing here, Lex?”
He waved a hand away, casting a derisive glance around the room, as he stepped closer, the tails of his black overcoat, floating behind him. “No reason. Wanted to see how my ten million was spent. Wondering what Lana deemed so important to use my money on.”
“Well, as you can see it didn’t go to waste.”
Lex’s stopped up short a few feet away. His eyes thinned, scrutinizing her. “How have you been, Chloe?”
“Oh Lex, watch out. One would think you really cared.” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you here? Do you want to know if my memory’s returned? Do you want to know if I remember staying with you at the mansion?”
Lex pursed his lips ever so briefly, but didn’t respond otherwise, his gaze remained steely, but Chloe saw there was truth in her words. He was curious, and wanted to know.
“The answer to both of those questions is, yes. So now that you know, you’re welcome to leave any time.”
“What happened to the Green Arrow?”
Chloe raised a brow. As if Lex actually had the gall to ask such a question. Evidently, he was unaware that she knew he’d shot Arrow. “I don’t know. When I was rescued, he was nowhere to be found.”
“I don’t believe that. He’d have gotten you out before saving himself.”
“You know him so well? To you he’s a terrorist.”
“Perhaps there is honor among thieves. Besides, he appeared to have some… fascination with you.”
“There seems to be some of that going around, wouldn’t you say?” she intoned meaningfully and watched with satisfaction, as Lex nearly grimaced at her words. “Perhaps he never read the thief code of conduct manual. He was gone. They never found him. Maybe he’s with Dr. Benson as we speak. Do you know what happened to our doctor friend?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
He was lying, and Chloe knew it. Then again, he probably knew she was lying as well. As it was, they were at a standstill, and neither of them would budge.
“Well, I’m sure they’ll turn up one way or another, don’t you think?”
Lex shrugged noncommittally, seemingly disinterested, then appeared as though there were something else on his mind.
“Anything else, Lex? I have things to do.”
“Actually there is. My sources tell me Oliver Queen is still in town and….”
“If you want to know anything about Mr. Queen and myself,” she interrupted, “then I suggest you read the Inquisitor.” Chloe reached for her purse. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Lex, I need to close up shop.”
Lex’s jaw tightened imperceptibly. He was in no mood to spar with her at the moment, but there would be another time. “Very well. Have a good evening, Chloe.” A thin chill hung on his words. This wasn’t over yet, and they both knew it.
“I will. You too Lex.” Her response was more answer to his challenge, than pleasantry.
Chloe watched him turn away, and exit the building until he entered the limo that awaited him. Only after the black vehicle drove away, did she remember to breathe.
After she’d locked up ISIS, she headed toward the nearest pharmacy. Her doctor’s appointment was not until tomorrow, and for the past two weeks, she and Oliver had been using alternative birth control methods which included, a combination of condoms and spermicide. Not something they were used to, and inconvenient, but necessary for now. After finding what she needed from the shelf, she headed back toward the Talon apartment.
Her reunion with Lois had been emotional, tear-filled and joyous, and she felt she had some explaining to do as far as her relationship with Oliver was concerned. Lois was understanding, and it probably helped that she’d already been filled in on all the details by Oliver and had already given Oliver a good piece of her mind during Chloe’s bout with amnesia. That didn’t however; save Chloe from the overly protective, big sisterly lecture that followed the huge hug Lois had given her. All the same though, Chloe was glad she had Lois’s blessing, and all was well between the two of them.
Chloe hid her drug store purchase in her purse, but upon unlocking the apartment door, soon found it was unnecessary. Lois wasn’t home, and right now Chloe was thankful for that. She couldn’t face Lois just yet, not while doing this. For some odd reason, she needed to be alone right now and upon finding the apartment empty, she sighed with relief.
She shed her jacket, tossing it onto the futon, and pulled out the pink rectangular box from her purse. Chloe realized her hands were trembling as she read the box directions. It wasn’t necessary to wait until morning, and that’s why she bought this particular test. Now she simply needed to get it over with, but she stood there, reading and re-reading directions she’d already read.
Accurate results five days before your missed period with an easy-to-read "Yes/No" answer.
Chloe breathed deeply. She could do this. All she had to do was pee and wait three minutes. So she stood rooted to the spot, unable to move toward the bathroom for a good five more minutes. Come on, Sullivan. Just do it.
She kicked off her shoes, then padded toward the bathroom as she tore open the box, pulling out the insert, nice graphic depictions showing how to pee on a stick. Who had an aim that perfect?
Three minutes. Well, it claimed to be ninety-nine percent accurate. Three minutes. Chloe followed the directions she now knew by heart, and waited. Three minutes. Three of the longest minutes of her life.
She blew her bangs out of her eyes as she sat on the toilet, holding the stick in her still trembling hand. Two more minutes. Staring at it wouldn’t make the answer show up any faster. Chloe set the stick down carefully on the countertop, cleaned up, washed her hands, brushed her teeth, combed her hair. One more minute.
And then…
Chloe couldn’t breathe. She didn’t know what to think or how to feel. Parts of her were happy, confused, scared to death, uncertain, and each of those parts were vying for dominance within her. She picked up the stick, focusing on the word, blinking, looking away, then back at it again. It hadn’t changed.
+YES
“Oh God.” Chloe stared at it for long moments, her heart pounding wildly. She closed the lid of the toilet and sank down on top of it, suddenly weak and light headed. “Oh God.”
She’d talk to the doctor in the morning. Maybe this test result was a false positive. She’d have a test done at the office. That would be more accurate, wouldn’t it? Chloe bit her lip, still uncertain as to how she should feel, too many emotions whirling around simultaneously. She loved Oliver, more than anything or anyone. He loved her, and she was confident in that knowledge, but a baby? Now? What would he say or do? Chloe looked down again at the stick. Nope. Still the same answer.
+YES
Chloe grabbed up the box, and slipped the used pregnancy test stick inside. Then the whole thing went stuffed hastily into a brown paper bag. She’d have to throw this away so Lois wouldn’t find it accidentally.
She headed for the kitchen, digging around for a plastic bag. Just as she was about to wrap the paper bag into the plastic one, Chloe jumped at the sound of her cell phone ringing. She checked the caller ID, her eyes widening, her pulse pounding.
“Hey,” she answered a bit too enthusiastically.
“Hey yourself, babe.” Oh gosh, why would he call her that? He’d never called her that before. Mere coincidence, nothing more. “What are you up to?”
Chloe could hear the teasing smile in his voice, and picturing that handsome grin in her mind, only made her more nervous for some reason. She began to fidget, and pace the small apartment. “Just got back from ISIS. Um… I’m here at the Talon. What about you?”
“Working on some boring business stuff. I’m in-between conference calls right now. Come to Metropolis tonight? I can have a car there in two hours, and by then I’ll be finished with work. We’ll have dinner.”
“Uh… okay.” Oh God. Should she tell him tonight? Or should she wait until after seeing the doctor? “Yeah… Sure. That sounds great.”
“Is everything all right there, Sidekick?”
“Oh! Yes. Great. Fine. Great. Uh… Okay. I’ll see you later then.” She decided not to tell him about Lex’s visit just then, he’d only worry. She’d had to convince him she’d be fine going to ISIS in the first place. She’d tell him about that later too. Her stomach clenched into knots over her little lack of honesty at the moment, but simply couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Lex or the possible pregnancy over the phone. Who was she kidding? There was no ‘possible’ about it. Oh my God, I’m pregnant. The reality suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks, the shock causing her to grow suddenly silent.
“Chloe?”
“Hmm?”
“Did something happen?”
He knew her too well. “Everything’s fine, Ollie.”
“Okay.” He didn’t sound convinced. “My conference call’s about to start. We’ll talk more later.”
That was his way of saying he’d get it out of her later. Chloe smiled, and she laughed lightly. “Okay, yes, we’ll talk more later, I promise.”
“Good.” He relaxed a bit, and his voice softened. “I have to go. Love you.”
“Love you too, Ollie.”
Before the limo arrived for her, Chloe had sent all the information on the file she’d created earlier to a few of her connections in law enforcement, as well as to the Met U board of directors. It didn’t take long, and time seemed to drag after that. Chloe didn’t know what to do with herself, and grew more anxious by the minute. She read the paper, she paced the apartment, she cleaned up what little clutter there was lying around. She sat on the futon, flipping though TV channels, turning it off and then and tossing the remote onto the nearby chair.
The driver should be coming up for her, and so when she heard the knock at the door, she wasn’t expecting to find Oliver Queen standing there, filling the doorframe. He must have left Metropolis soon after they’d spoken on the phone. Just the sight of him brought all of her nervous anxiety to the fore, and she leapt onto him, nearly bowling him over, throwing her arms about his neck. “Ollie!”
Oliver enfolded her, lifting her off her feet a few inches, stepping into the room, carrying her, as she clung to his neck, her feet swaying with every measured step he took. He chuckled, his smile warming her heart. “Hey. This is some welcome. Want to tell me what’s going on?” he murmured close to her ear.
“Kiss me first.”
Oliver set her down, and gripping a fist full of her golden hair, he groaned beneath his breath, slanting his mouth over hers. It was a deep, coming home kind of kiss, where lips and tongues reacquainted themselves with familiar territory. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nipped it, then closed his mouth hard over hers once more. Chloe’s hands plunged into his hair, pulling him closer. Finally, growling soft and low in his throat, Oliver reluctantly dragged his mouth a whisper away from hers.
“Ollie,” she breathed, moving her hand from his hair to touch his face, tracing the bones with soft fingertips.
He smoothed the hair back from her cheek. “What is it?” he whispered, his lips nearly brushing against hers. His other hand settled at the small of her back, intimately pulling her against him, until their lower bodies swayed lightly in unison.
Chloe paused long enough to swallow tightly, and inhale a fortifying breath, releasing her words softly. “I’m pregnant.”
Oliver blinked several times. His mouth opened as if to speak, then closed. He then seemed to recover from the initial shock of her words. Two words said quietly, and simply. “You’re…”
“Pregnant.”
Oliver gazed down at her, beautiful green eyes glistening with uncertainty. She was worried about what he’d think, how he’d react. But there was also a challenge there, daring him to say what he thought, how he felt, daring him to take this ride with her. He touched his forehead to hers, and his arms gripped tightly around her, squeezing her. “Somehow I think I knew,” he whispered. “And even when I thought you might be…” Why was he so bad at this? He couldn’t seem to form a sentence. “I mean, I wasn’t worried. I knew we’d be okay, no matter what happened,” he whispered. “I love you, Chloe. So much. And now I’m….” Oliver’s handsome face broke into a lopsided grin. Then his expression changed to one of astonishment, and his eyes widened. “Wow,” he breathed. “I’m going to be a dad...” his voice trailed off, full of wonderment and realization.
His own words seemed to sink into his very being. Chloe wondered vaguely if he might faint, and held him up as his body relaxed against hers, and his head lowered to rest between her neck and shoulder, leaning on her. She felt him trembling with emotion, his breath against her neck as he tried to regain his composure. “I love you, Oliver,” she whispered in his ear, soothing him with her words and her hands as she stroked his nape and slid fingers into his hair, caressing his scalp. “And you’re going to be a great father.”
She was trembling now too, and thinking to get them both off of their feet, Chloe led him to the bed, where they fell upon it, and lay silently in each other’s arms fully clothed, kissing, caressing, cuddling for long silent moments.
After a time, he rose up on one elbow, resting his head in his hand, peering down at the length of her body, stretched on her back. He ran a slow hand over her blouse, down between her breasts, over her ribs, her stomach, then palmed her flat belly thoughtfully, reverently, fingers splayed, rubbing soft, slow circles over her womb. Finally, Oliver spoke quietly as though the moment was too sacred for speech. “How big do you think he is now?”
“Probably smaller than a peanut, and what if it’s a she?”
Oliver looked up at her teasing smile, and the light in her eyes, and knew he saw his future there. He couldn’t keep from grinning. He placed a feather light kiss to her forehead, then lids closing over halfway, he brushed his lips against hers, the remnant of his smile still lingering. “Then I’m in big trouble.”
End Chapter 13
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