Déjà Vu
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Lex had given her a new laptop, cell phone, new clothes and her own room, a workspace and desk. He’d also returned her tazer gun to her. Of course, the first thing she did with her laptop was attempt to find information about herself. Unfortunately, there was nothing much there. No news reports of her accident, nothing that would help her really, which she found odd.
He didn’t think it was wise just yet for her to leave the mansion by herself, so he’d hired two bodyguards to escort her when she went for treatments every week at the Met U research wing, meeting with Dr. Benson. He’d prescribed some medication for her, and there had been therapy sessions, but thus far, there’d been no improvement to her memory. It was frustrating, and she still cried at night sometimes, wishing for her life back, wishing for her memories, wondering if they’d ever return.
She was dying to call Clark or just see him even if only to prove to herself that they’d been out of touch, and no longer shared the deep friendship they’d once had. She’d actually dialed the number to the Kent farm, but the number had been disconnected. The same thing happened when she tried to call Lois. Lex kept her busy researching possible company acquisitions and various investors, and she actually enjoyed finding information for him, it gave her something to do and kept her mind working, occupied with other things.
She’d been helping him for two weeks when he came to her with something a bit different.
He entered her office area and leaned casually on her side of the desk. “I have to say, you’re looking much better. I hope you’re comfortable here.”
“I am. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Chloe, I need you to check into something for me.” He had a manila folder in his hands. “Luthorcorp has been having trouble with some terrorist activities, you may have heard of him.” He handed her the folder.
Chloe opened it, and found a police sketch of a hooded man wearing dark glasses. Under the police sketch were several newspaper clippings. “Green Arrow Bandit?” She shook her head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. Lois wrote this one?” she asked, sliding out the clipping of the Inquisitor, noting the date of the article. “Wow, this was awhile ago.”
“Well, he’s back at it.” Lex folded his arms across his chest. “Destroyed one of our research and development branches.” He grinned down at her. “I was hoping you could do some sleuthing and see what you could find.”
“Green Arrow Bandit, huh? I’d lose the ‘Bandit’. Green Arrow sounds better.”
She flipped through the papers, pulling out the police sketch once more, studying it. Her head tipped thoughtfully to the side, for a few seconds, her eyes had a faraway look in them.
“Green Arrow to Watchtower, I’m in position.”
“Okay, there should be a security access panel near the east door. According to this schematic, you need to very carefully rewire the system…”
*
“Green Arrow to Watchtower, I’m taking evasive action, I’ve been made.”
“Copy that Arrow, hurry back… Watchtower to Green Arrow, what’s your status? Archer! Report immediately!”
Chloe blinked, her brows knit, and then it was forgotten.
“Are you okay?”
She rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, my head hurts a little, but I’m okay.” She slid the police sketch and newspaper clippings back into the folder, then placed it on her desk. “I’ll get on this right away, see what I can find for you.”
“Thanks, you’ve been very helpful to me Chloe, I appreciate it.”
She offered him a small smile, and shrugged. “It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me, Lex.”
A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. “It’s nothing,” he said, and left the room. Lex didn’t trust her completely. He knew she’d attempt to find information about herself, he knew she’d try to call Clark or Lois, so he’d had particular search capabilities blocked, and her cell phone set up so that whenever she dialed anyone she knew, the calls would be forwarded, and she’d receive a message indicating that the line had been disconnected. He was gaining her trust with each passing day, and the treatments from Dr. Benson kept her from regaining her memory. His only concern was the possibility of friends searching for her, and discovering that she was at the mansion, or seeing them and having her memories return.
Chloe reached for the folder again, flipping through the contents, always drawn back toward the sketch. Something was familiar about it, and yet something was wrong about it too. Something was missing. There was something lifeless and cold about it that didn’t seem to feel right. The face in the sketch could be almost any man, yet she knew this wasn’t just any man. There was so much more to him than this two-dimensional drawing could ever show her. She stared at it for long moments, finally setting it down in front of her, so that her eyes would drift to it every so often. “Let’s see what you’re about, Mr. Arrow,” she murmured to herself as she began to type away at the keyboard.
* * * * *
Lois wiped at her eyes with a tissue Clark had just given her. “It’s been a month since she’s been gone, Clark. What else am I supposed to think?”
“You can’t give up, Lois.” She and Clark were in the Talon apartment on a lazy Sunday afternoon, sitting on the futon. Every now and then since Chloe’s disappearance, Lois would simply break down. She’d launched her own search, but she too came up empty-handed at every turn, and now she was nearing the point of losing all hope.
“The police haven’t found a trace of her, and none of us have been able to come up with anything.”
“We’re still looking for her. Oliver is not going to give up that easily.”
“I hope we find her, so that I can give her hell for keeping her relationship with Ollie a secret, and then I’ll hug the stuffing out of her,” Lois sniffled.
“I think you gave Oliver enough hell, don’t you?”
“He deserved it.” She blew her nose into the tissue.
“They had their reasons for hiding it.”
“I can’t believe you’re defending him.”
“You don’t still care about him, do you?”
“No. I care about him, just not in that way anymore. I think I’m angrier that Chloe didn’t share it with me, but not angry that she’s with Ollie, he’s a good guy and as long as he knows I’ll cut his nuts off if he hurts her, we’re good.” A short laugh escaped her. “I would like to see them together though, I’m betting they make a cute couple.” Her smile faded, as another tear slipped down her cheek and she turned to Clark. “But I can’t do that, unless she comes back,” she whispered, and then lay her head on Clark’s shoulder.
Clark stayed with her for another hour, offering what comfort he could until she felt better, and then headed downstairs. As he neared the exit, he could have sworn he saw a familiar figure leaving the Talon, escorted by two men in suits.
“Chloe!” He jogged up toward her before she could enter the black sedan. “Chloe!”
She turned around, eyeing him speculatively. “Hello Clark.” She said cautiously.
Clark threw his arms around her. “Chloe! Where have you been? Everyone’s been searching for you, we’ve all been worried sick about you for a month now.”
Clark felt her stiffen in his arms and leaned back to look down at her.
She wore a pasted on smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She looked uncomfortable. “I’m fine Clark. I hear you’re doing well too. Working at the Daily Planet with Lois. That’s great. I’m glad.”
His brows furrowed, she already knew that, he’d been working there for almost a year now. Something was not right at all here. “Chloe where have you been?”
“What do you mean? I’ve been here the whole time, Clark. I never left Smallville. I mean, I know we were friends once, but I haven’t heard from you or my cousin Lois in a long time.”
“What are you talking about? Chloe, what’s happened to you?”
One of the suits interjected. “Excuse me, Ms. Sullivan? We have to go now.”
“No!” Clark reached for her as she stepped toward the car. “Chloe wait.”
“I’m sorry Clark, it was nice seeing you again, as much as I’d love to stand here and reminisce about the good old days, I really do have to go. Say hello to Lois for me, will you? That’s if you think she’ll care at all.”
What did she mean by that? “Wait! Where are you going?” Clark watched her enter the car, and stared after it as they drove away, dumbfounded by the entire exchange. What had they done to her? That wasn’t his Chloe at all. Clark debated on whether or not to follow them, but the way she’d reacted coldly to him, and acted as though she hadn’t seen him for far longer than a month, as though she barely knew him, he thought it best to head for Queen Tower first, and in a flash, he was gone.
Chloe sat in the backseat of the sedan, staring out at the landscape passing by. A single tear hung from her lashes, and then slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily. They’d been looking for her? When? Who were ‘they’? They must not have looked too hard when she’d been here the entire time. No matter. It was in the past and she’d already mourned the loss of both Clark and Lois many times over. No sense in shedding more tears over them.
When she arrived back at the mansion, she told Lex about meeting Clark. She was visibly upset, and he offered her comforting words, slipped her medication in a glass of juice, and then called Dr. Benson. She’d need another session of treatment and so he sent her to the Met U wing for the night, making certain to tell his men to guard her more closely, and that under no circumstances was she allowed to speak at length with anyone.
Chloe had been making some progress in her research on the Green Arrow, and he felt that soon, they’d catch him, and possibly discover his identity. He wanted nothing to get in the way of her efforts. And though her healing ability had yet to reappear, he’d been right, she’d turned out to be a valuable ally, indeed.
* * * * *
Clark had told him that he’d seen her at the Talon, and that she’d acted as though she hadn’t seen him in a long time, and spouted off something about being former friends. They’d done something to her memory, that much was evident, and so Bart nagged him to shave, saying he looked unrecognizable even to those who knew him. He had to agree, and he needed Chloe to remember him the way she’d seen him last.
He’d been parked across the street from the Talon nearly all day, and Oliver had finally gotten lucky; this seemed to be a new daily afternoon stop for her. He watched her enter, his heartbeat pounding erratically at finally seeing her again. He entered the café, and there she was, ordering a latte. Nearby were two dark-suited men waiting for her. He was nervous, but Oliver had to time this right without looking suspicious. And as cliché as it was, the only thing he could think to do was bump into her, literally. As she was accepting her change from the barista, he approached her from behind casually, and when she turned around he was suddenly there, getting a bit of her hot coffee spilled on his leather jacket.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry!” she blurted, without really looking up at him, but rather where she’d spilled her coffee on a patch of brown leather. “Did I burn you?” she asked barely glancing up at him long enough to register anything.
“Not at all. It’s quite all right,” he answered as she turned away from him, reaching for some napkins on the counter.
“I’m so sorry,” she said again, attempting to wipe away the spilled coffee from him. Finally her gaze rose up to meet his fully, and Oliver looked down at her expectantly, waiting for some sign of recognition from her. There was, but it wasn’t what he’d expected.
As their eyes met, Chloe felt a shock course through her. Her lips parted in surprise, her eyes widened, and her cheeks became instantly flushed. “Oh… Mr. Queen? I-I recognize you from the paper.” She was still wiping at his jacket absently, staring completely dumbfounded by the man in front of her.
Oliver’s heart sank, she didn’t remember him, and it took everything he had not to sweep her into his arms, or say her name. “Don’t apologize,” he answered thickly, trying not to show his disappointment at her lack of recognition. He flashed his most charming Oliver Queen smile. “It was entirely my fault, Miss…”
Chloe merely stared, tongue-tied. She breathed one word. “Wow.” It was all she could utter like a star struck schoolgirl. He was so much more devastatingly handsome in person; newspaper photographs did not do the man justice. “Uh…” Suddenly she seemed to remember herself, and cast a nervous glance at one of the men behind Oliver who waited for her. He had taken a menacing step forward. She looked up at Oliver again, his dark eyes drawing her in as he studied her. Her brows furrowed momentarily as confusion and some other unknown emotion crossed her features, her green eyes clouding over ever so briefly.
“We can’t be out of coffee, I just bought your favorite kind.” He said lifting his head from the newspaper, tipping his head back in her direction.
“You did? You’re so sweet, Ollie,” she beamed, stepping up behind his chair, bending over him and wrapping her arms round his neck, her hands roaming down over his chest. She pressed her cheek to his.
“Am not. I just don’t want to hear you whine about it.”
“Come on, admit it. You are sweet,” she nipped his earlobe gently.
The smile he’d been trying to hide appeared. He turned his head, and pressed his lips to her cheek. “Only for you, Sidekick, but that’s our secret,” he whispered. “I do have reputation to uphold, after all.”
“You’re right. Sweet Arrow doesn’t have a superhero ring to it. You’re secret is safe with me.”
She blinked, it was there and then it was gone in a matter of seconds, and there was no way of getting it back. “I-I’m sorry, I have to go. I hope you’ll forgive me about the coffee, Mr. Queen. I can have the jacket cleaned for you,” she added hastily.
Oliver watched her face, intently. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it, really.” He reached out to stay her before she could step away, hopeful that there was perhaps some subconscious recognition on her part. “Wait. What’s your name?”
“The young lady has somewhere she has to be sir,” the suited man approached, grasping Chloe’s elbow before she could answer. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but simply shrugged helplessly as the man insinuated himself between them. Oliver’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching imperceptibly. He had the urge to knock out both of the men with her, and steal her from them, but starting a fight in the Talon over her was probably not a good idea. “If you’ll excuse us,” the man said coolly and led her away, followed by the other hired suit.
They escorted her out, but not before Chloe turned back for one last glimpse of him, offering him a sweet, shy smile that made him fall in love with her all over again, and caused his heart ache grievously all in the same moment. He’d finally seen her. And he had to get her back.
Oliver reached into his pocket for his cell phone as he stepped toward the exit of the Talon. “Clark, I saw her. No, she didn’t recognize me... well, she did but only from what she’s seen in the newspapers. She doesn’t know me. We need to get her back, you were right, she’s under watch like some prisoner,” his voice was low, tinged with anger. “I’m going to tail them,” he paused listening. “I’m at the Talon.”
Oliver looked up as Clark entered the café. “I’m going with you.”
Together they followed the black sedan.
“We could stop them and take her now,” Oliver said, his fingers gripping the steering wheel, wanting to get closer but trying to maintain some distance.
“We don’t know what their orders are. What if they hurt her? Or she gets hurt in the process? Not only that, but she doesn’t know you, Oliver, and hates me for some reason.”
“We seem to be headed toward the mansion, Lex wouldn’t be stupid enough to keep her there would he? I mean why not keep her in some facility?”
“What better way to keep an eye on her, brainwash her, tell her whatever he wants her to believe, turn her against me and her other friends?” Clark answered. “He’s keeping her close.”
“Then we have to get in there. Get her out.”
“She won’t come willingly, you know that.”
“So, we kidnap her if we have to.” Oliver was determined. “Lex isn’t known to have the best security. I’m sure there’s a way to get to her.”
“And if we keep her against her will, she’ll find a way to escape. She doesn’t trust us, she’s not herself, I could feel it when I saw her last. You know they’ve done something to her.”
Oliver couldn’t help it, his voice rose in frustration. “What do you suggest then, Clark? I want her back, now.”
They watched as the black sedan pulled into the entry gates of Luthor Mansion. “I can get in there tonight and check things out first,” Clark offered. “Find out where they’re keeping her, maybe try to talk to her again.”
He nodded in answer and swallowed hard, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “I have to get her back, Clark.” Seeing her again brought all the pain flooding back as though he’d lost her yesterday, and his entire being ached, missing her. So close, she was so close.
Clark looked at his friend sympathetically. “I know. We all want her back, Oliver.”
He felt himself trembling slightly with emotion, and pulled over onto the side of the road resting his elbow on the interior window ledge of the door, breathing deeply to calm himself. He rubbed a hand over his face once, curved fingers settling over his lips briefly. “When she saw me, I think she may have remembered something about me. I don’t know, but there was something in the way she looked at me.” Oliver turned to Clark. “If I could just see her again, and talk to her.”
“You will. We’ll get her back. I’ll get in there and let you know what I find. What did she say to you?”
“She called me Mr. Queen, apologized for spilling coffee on me, cleaned me up, and then said ‘Wow’,” Oliver shrugged.
Clark’s expression relaxed slightly, a small inward smile appearing on his lips. He’d remembered something.
“What is it?”
Clark shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just… well, that’s what she said the first time she ever saw you in my barn. ‘Wow’,” Clark did his best Chloe imitation.
“She said that?”
“Yeah, I guess you’ve made an impression on her, both first times you’ve met her.”
“A good first impression, twice.” Oliver’s voice trailed off in thought. He knew he was grasping at straws. “Then maybe there was something, some subconscious memory of me.”
“I don’t know, Oliver, maybe.”
Oliver turned the car around, heading back toward the Talon, his thoughts drifting as he drove. After the first night he and Chloe spent together, they didn’t talk about it further. That night as they lay naked together on the living room floor afterward, she had told him not to worry. But lust wasn’t always so simple. After the team had taken care of the warehouse that was being used in illegal drug trade, he’d gone away for a few weeks, business and other obligations taking him elsewhere. When he and Chloe spoke on the phone or corresponded through emails, nothing had changed on the surface, and they still had an easy rapport, and maintained a great working relationship. But phone calls had grown more frequent and conversations began to drift to more personal things, and emails were less work related.
The first trip back to Metropolis since they’d slept together, he was anxious, and though they’d spoken to each other, he hadn’t seen her in weeks. He was uncertain as to how he’d react upon being in the same room with her, or how she’d react around him, thinking things would be awkward. Surprisingly they weren’t so much. He needed to see her at the penthouse for League related business, and though she seemed a bit shy around him at first, once they became Watchtower and Arrow, any remnants of shyness fell away, yet each of them was extremely aware of the other’s presence in the room.
And then work was done, and she was preparing to leave, and suddenly he couldn’t let her go. His mind cast about for reasons to keep her with him, he could offer to take her to dinner, ask her to check on some new information, but it was after midnight, and dinner seemed wrong, and new information was non-existent. Finally he settled on taking the chance of simply speaking her name softly, reaching for her hand and tugging her toward him. When she stepped into his arms, and gazed up at him, her green eyes searching his brown ones, finding his unspoken desire and longing there, she reached for him, pulling his head down and brushed her parted lips against his. And for the first time that night, he relaxed completely, enfolding her and pulling her up against him, deepening the kiss, relieved in the knowledge that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
He took her to his bed, and even as his body entered hers, each of them finding passionate, mindless ecstasy and release in each other once more, again in the back of his mind he knew that this wouldn’t be enough. It would never be enough. But he didn’t want to dwell on it. And so it went this way for months, and the needing her grew stronger, and the wanting her grew stronger. And when he needed to simply hear her voice as she told him about her day, or see her smile, or simply be near her, or when he thought of her for no reason, or did things only for her, he realized this was never just about sex. Not even the first time. Because being away from her in any capacity, being without her, became torturous and he wondered when and how it had happened. When had he fallen? How had she found her way into his heart without his knowledge? He kept it to himself, this falling in love with her. Hid it away. Hid her away.
And then she was gone, missing, taken from him, and he’d been stupid, never telling her enough how he felt. She knew he loved her. He’d shown her in many ways with actions, but he’d never really said it, not really, not the way he should have. And now she was here. He’d found her. She didn’t remember him, but he was going to get her back, even if it meant he had to make her fall in love with him all over again. “Wow,” he murmured to himself. It was one simple word, and he clung to it. Maybe that was a start.
* * * * *
“Did you see or talk to anyone today?”
“No. I told you, after some shopping, I went to Talon to pick up some coffee, and that was it.”
Lex stood up from behind his desk. “It’s very important that you speak to no one. We have many enemies, people who are envious of my position.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “My men tell me you ran into Oliver Queen.”
“Oh yes, but nothing happened other than I spilled coffee on the poor man.”
“And you didn’t say anything to him?”
“Well I apologized for probably ruining his jacket and possibly burning him, but that was it really.”
Lex seemed satisfied that she didn’t remember Oliver. He squeezed her shoulder gently, and offered her a smile. “Good.” He rounded his desk, dropping into the chair. “Dr. Benson needs to see you again for more sessions, he thinks you’re progressing.”
“I’m glad he thinks so.”
“What do you mean?” Lex leaned forward, his elbows on the desk.
“I don’t feel I’m any closer to remembering anything.”
“Well, it can’t hurt. A car will take you in an hour. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out.”
Chloe looked skeptical, but nodded. She turned to leave.
“Oh, and pack an overnight bag. You’ll be staying the night at the Met U research wing.”
“Lex, are you sure about this doctor?”
“He’s the best money can buy. I have faith in him, you should too.”
“I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”
Lex smiled. “What are friends for?”
She offered him a small smile of her own, but when Chloe left his office, her face was once again shrouded in uncertainty.
Lex didn’t trust Oliver Queen; he’d heard that Oliver had been in town on and off. He knew Chloe, even if only casually from having dated her cousin some time ago. Lex picked up his phone, dialing. “Yes. Find out what Queen is doing in town, and what business if any he has here. Get back to me when you’ve got something.”
End Chapter 5
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