Déjà Vu
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chloe returned to the mansion, thankful to have pulled off her nighttime excursion without a hitch. But she couldn’t sleep, too excited over her discovery. She sat at her laptop searching for any information she could find on Oliver Queen. She weeded through the typical sensational tabloid articles. Her main objective was to make some connection with the Green Arrow, not really concerning herself with gossip of his latest exploits in bachelorhood. She’d found what she wanted. Headlines, news articles about the Green Arrow in Metropolis coincided; dates and events timed perfectly with the arrival of Oliver Queen. She found news articles about the Green Arrow in Star City, Oliver Queen at various charitable functions and fundraisers, Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne starting a joint venture in a new technologies research and development company. It was all there. She’d even gone so far as to find a decent picture of the man, print it, and draw dark glasses and a hood over his head, amazed at the similarity. There was no denying it. She’d convinced herself. Oliver Queen was the Green Arrow. Now she simply had to find a way to see him again.
Quite pleased with herself that one mystery was solved, she pulled out the flash drive he’d given her, inserting it into the USB port of her laptop. There were numerous files on the drive.
She opened a Word document that said, READ ME FIRST. It was a note. A sad smile appeared as she read.
Chloe,
The information in these files should be helpful in answering some of your questions. You’ll note that among the photographs, there are none of us together. For obvious reasons, I can’t reveal myself to you just yet, but rest assured such photographs do exist. I won’t give up on my efforts to earn your trust, and regain what we had together. My hope is that your memory will return in time, and that you’ll come back to me.
Always, Your
Archer
She opened another file simply titled Articles.
LUTHORCORP CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
By Chloe Sullivan
It was the draft of an article she’d written, along with sources, evidence, and citations. Chloe read through it, her mind grasping at memories, but the snippets continued to remain elusive, escaping her every time.
“My mother sacrificed everything to protect the world from scum like you. And if taking you down means spending some quality time behind bars, sign me up.”
“You know, I thought you might say that. That's why there's a Plan "B" firmly in place... a plan that makes prison look like a picnic.”
Other news articles were also on the file the Green Arrow had given her, and she devoured every one, as visions continued to flash, storming through her mind.
RIDGE FACILITY DESTROYED IN FREAK EXPLOSION
“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…”
LUTHORCORP BUYS DAILY PLANET
Lex’s face swam before her eyes. “You’re fired.”
She read through everything on the drive, by turns both fascinated and horrified. The Green Arrow had been telling her the truth, and Lex Luthor had been her enemy, someone she’d attempted to bring to justice, but who had foiled her efforts at every turn.
And then there were photographs; pictures of her together with Clark, and Lana, and Lois. A group of them at Crater Lake, pictures of them at the Kent Farm, and at the Talon apartment.
And then finally, she wept bitterly. For all of it. For the loss of her best friend, her cousin, and a man she couldn’t remember, who must love her more than anyone had ever loved her before.
* * * * *
“Mr. Luthor will be out of town for two days.”
“That’s nice,” Chloe sighed wearily, still dressed in pajamas, rubbing her eyes as she dragged her stocking feet toward the coffee pot. She checked the clock. It was after 10:00 am, she’d slept late.
Marianne placed a hand on her arm as she reached up into the cupboard for a mug. “Something came for you this morning,” she said, with a sly smile, her tone conspiratorial. She stepped over to the opposite side of the kitchen, presenting Chloe with a vase full of multicolored tulips. “Special delivery. Go. Sit down, I’ll fix your coffee.”
“They’re beautiful. Who are they from?” Chloe asked, now suddenly more awake as she plopped herself down into the chair at the small café table, where Marianne had set the tulips. Chloe sat speechless, staring at the arrangement.
“I think I can guess. Let me see. Tall, blonde, muscles, gorgeous… you stood him up? Yeah, that one.”
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Somehow she’d known they were from him, and he’d known that tulips were her favorite. It only further cemented the notion that Oliver Queen was the Green Arrow, the man who loved her. “I didn’t stand him up. Lex had work for me to do, and I couldn’t meet him.”
“Same thing if you ask me,” she set Chloe’s coffee-filled mug down on the table, then held both hands in front of her, palms upward as though mimicking a set of scales. “Work on one hand, or rich, gorgeous blonde on the other.” She moved her hands up and down alternately, back and forth weighing each option, her face screwed up, deep in mock indecision. “Work. Gorgeous blonde. Yeah, it’s a no brainer.” She threw her hands up. “Blondie wins.”
“I did want to go. Honestly, I think Lex doesn’t like Oliver very much.”
“Yeah, well. He’s not the one Mr. Queen wants to spend time with, now is he? Besides, I think you two would be so cute together.” Marianne’s face took on a faraway dreamy look. “Two blondes, with beautiful blonde babies, I can see it now.”
Chloe nearly spit out the sip of coffee she’d just taken.
Marianne patted her on the back as Chloe choked and sputtered. “There’s a note. Why don’t you read it?”
After she recovered, Chloe removed the note, slipping the little card out from the envelope, unable to hide the smile on her face as she read. She gazed up at the older woman, her smile brilliant, and then scanned the note once more paraphrasing it. “He wants to see me. Asks if I can meet him at Queen Tower, wants me to call him to let him know if I can be there, he’ll send a car if I need it.”
Marianne was already handing her the phone. “I know. I was nosy and read it. Now call him and tell him you’ll meet him.”
“But...”
“No buts. Besides, it just so happens that I need to go to Metropolis to do a lot of shopping for the mansion today and I need so much help that I’ll have to drag you along, and it will take at least two hours for me to do all the shopping I need to do, and I have so many things to carry. Well, I need an extra pair of hands, you know. And, with Mr. Luthor out of town, those boys in suits won’t say a thing about it, especially if they ever want to set foot in my kitchen again.” Marianne set her hands on her ample hips. “So, are you going to call him or should I?”
“Do you really think I should go to Queen Tower? Maybe I should suggest the Talon. Someplace less… intimate and more public?”
Marianne rolled her eyes heavenward. “Whoever said youth was wasted on the young…” her voice trailed off as she muttered almost to herself. “Sweetheart, when you get to be my age… ah, never mind. Yes, meet him at Queen Tower; he’s a busy man, he works from there too, right? Owns a company? He’s a nice boy Chloe; he’s not going to do anything to ruin his chances with you. Even I can see that.”
Chloe blushed, her smile lighting up her face, suddenly giddy. “Thank you, Marianne.”
“Yeah, just remember, Cinderella, you’ve got two hours. After that you’ll turn into a pumpkin or a mouse or something, so don’t be late. I’ll pick you up. Now call the man, and then go get dressed.”
* * * * *
Oliver glanced at the security monitor. He couldn’t believe she was on her way up to the penthouse. “Keep in mind, she doesn’t remember you.”
“No worries, Ollie, we got it.”
“And don’t overstay your welcome,” he warned.
The elevator doors slid open, and the men in the room acted as though they were finishing up a meeting.
Oliver stood and rounded the desk, greeting her with a huge smile, causing her heart do a back flip in the process, then taking her hand and leading her toward the group. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he said, trying to ease her, as she looked a bit overwhelmed by the presence of the others in the room.
“Were you in a meeting? Did I interrupt?”
“Not at all. Just finished. I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends and associates.” He turned to the group of men. “Chloe Sullivan. This is Arthur Curry, Victor Stone, and Bart Allen.”
Chloe smiled and shook each man’s hand as they were introduced. “Nice to meet you.”
Bart held onto her hand and waggled his eyebrows. “The pleasure is all mine, señorita bonita.”
Chloe laughed lightly at his antics.
“Well, these gentlemen were just leaving,” Oliver intoned meaningfully, ushering them all out of the penthouse.
Good-byes were said, and the group had left, leaving the two of them alone.
“I thought we could go for a walk, and head toward a little bistro a few blocks from here. How does that sound?” It had been one of her favorite places.
“Sounds great.” She smiled up at him, and Oliver took a moment to simply bask in the glow of it, grinning back at her.
As they walked, he asked her about herself, and Chloe simply stuck to the basics. She was a Metropolis girl, but had moved to Smallville where she went to high school, then went on to study journalism at Met U, where she’d completed her degree finally, two years after the mess that was Dark Thursday. She’d also spent some time in the basement of the Daily Planet, first manning the phones, writing obits, and then getting a few articles published. He seemed impressed with her, and Chloe was grateful that he hadn’t asked for specifics.
“So tell me, how does an intelligent, independent woman such as yourself wind up working for Lex Luthor?”
“Well, I’m not actually working for him. I had been helping him with some things, and he’s returning the favor I suppose.”
“You don’t sound as though you’re very confident of the situation,” he mused aloud.
“I’m not. But it is what it is.”
“And what is that, exactly?”
“It’s… complicated,” she shrugged.
“Knowing Lex, I imagine it would be.”
“You know him well?”
“We were schoolmates at Excelsior Academy.” He turned to her and smiled. “It’s… complicated.”
“Yeah.”
They entered Le Bistro, and shared aperitifs, French cold cuts, pâté and cheese, grapes and other fruit. There was no further discussion of Lex, but Chloe’s mind worked asking him questions about his views on social issues, trying to get a sense of the man who she believed to be both Green Arrow and Oliver Queen. She loved his subtle wit, and the easy banter they shared. He answered as she’d expected. He was obviously a crusader for the working class and disadvantaged, despite the fact that he’d been raised in the lap of luxury. He was also the adventurous type, tending toward the thrill seeking. A modern day Robin Hood, for sure, she thought, as the conversation drifted pleasantly to other things. And then there was that chin, and those lips, and the jaw line that was unmistakable. And underneath it all was the voice in her head that would chime in at odd intervals, causing her heart to beat just a little faster. He loves me.
Amusement flickered in the dark eyes that met hers. “You must be one hell of a reporter, Ms. Sullivan,” he teased. “I think I’ve just given the most extensive interview, ever.”
A flash of humor crossed her face, her lips curving in a smile. God, he wanted to kiss her, desperately. “I’m sorry, I do get carried away at times, Mr. Queen,” she replied teasingly as well. “Seriously though, I hope I haven’t over-stepped any boundaries with all of my questions. I simply find you to be a very fascinating individual.”
His laugh was deep and warm. “Not at all. I think your curious nature is very refreshing, actually. I’m enjoying this time with you, Chloe.”
Time. Chloe checked her watch. They’d been talking and laughing for nearly two hours. Where had the time gone? “I’m sorry, Oliver. I wish I could stay longer, but I do have to go. Marianne will be waiting for me at Queen Tower.”
“I understand,” he said. And Chloe could see his expression fall slightly, before he quickly recovered with one of his swoon-inducing smiles. “Let’s head back.” He left a few large bills on the table, and as they walked toward Queen Tower, he reached for her hand, pleasantly surprised when she threaded her fingers through his, clasping his hand.
Just before they’d reached their destination, Oliver stopped, gently reining her steps, and pulling her back toward him. “When can I see you again?” he whispered, his eyes darkening with emotion.
Chloe stared up at him, remembering that only last night she’d wished that she could see the eyes behind the dark glasses. They were deep, and dark, and full of longing. It was the look of a man in love. Without thinking, she reached up to touch his cheek, and gently move her fingertips over his jaw line and chin stopping at his dimple, much the way she had done the night before. And he remained still, watching her intently, much the way he had done the night before.
A car horn sounded. “Chloe, come on! Pumpkins and mice, remember?” It was Marianne’s voice coming from the street.
Chloe suddenly slid her fingers into the hair at his nape, pulled him down and rose up, pressing her parted lips to his, kissing him hard, swiftly before the tears that had begun to form could fall. “You will, Archer. Soon, I promise,” she whispered hoarsely against his mouth, kissing him one last time. And then she was gone, hastening to the car that waited, leaving Oliver to stare after her, speechless, shocked at first, and then amazed. She’d done it again, figured him out for the second time on her own, only this time he’d wanted her to.
“I hope those are happy tears,” Marianne said as she drove away, casting a glance in Chloe’s direction.
“Yes,” she sniffled, wiping away the wetness from her cheeks. And no too, Chloe thought. Happy in her discovery of the man who loved her, sad in that she still could recall nothing about what they’d had together.
“I thought so,” Marianne sighed wistfully. “Ah yes, beautiful blonde babies. I can see it now.”
* * * * *
Since her meeting with Oliver the day before, a new sense of urgency filled her to accomplish what she’d set out to do. The sooner she’d found something on Lex, the better. It would mean she could go to Oliver, and hopefully regain her memory and get her life back. Chloe spent most of her time poring through the files she’d copied from Lex’s computer. She came across Dr. Benson’s name, and connected him to a more recent, ongoing project that apparently involved seeking out meteor-infected individuals. Somehow, the Met U research wing where she’d gone for treatments was linked, as well as another, newer facility just outside the small, nearby farming town of Cloverdale. Chloe compiled and organized what relevant information she could find into a new file. Oliver’s business card had an email address listed on it. Slipping the card from her wallet, finding the address, she attached her newly created file and sent it to him, hoping it was enough, hoping it would help in some way. She then set about deleting any trace of her activities from her laptop; her searches for Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, Luthorcorp files, her recent documents, all were erased.
Chloe sat back, relieved, satisfied that she’d done what she’d set out to do. Tired now, she thought she’d get ready for bed, when the door to her room was opened suddenly, and Lex entered, calmly and completely livid. Evidently, he’d returned earlier than expected.
Chloe never read the Inquisitor, at least not often, but now she thought maybe she should start. He slapped a copy of the tabloid on her desk. “How does it feel to be Oliver Queen’s new flavor of the month?” he sneered, his voice low.
Chloe glanced down at the headline in utter shock.
NEW PLAYMATE FOR PLAYBOY BILLIONAIRE?
Who is Oliver Queen’s new mystery woman?
There was a photograph of them walking hand in hand on their way back to Queen Tower, smiling at each other, and then another, smaller inset picture, a close-up of their kiss, along with an accompanying caption. The visiting Star City multi-billionaire was seen yesterday, cozying up to a petite, unknown blonde. By all accounts, he appears to be quite smitten with the mysterious young woman. Could this be the beginning of the end of bachelorhood for Mr. Queen? Stay tuned.
She stood up, indignant. “This is garbage and you know it,” she defended, gesturing toward the newspaper on her desk. “I wouldn’t line a bird cage with that excuse for a publication.”
“What were you doing with Oliver Queen?” he demanded between clenched teeth.
“Having lunch! Is that not allowed?”
“That looks like more than lunch to me! I don’t trust him, Chloe.”
“Come on Lex, I know your not the jealous boyfriend, so what is it? Did you think I’d pass along trade secrets? It was just lunch.”
“He’s using you to get to me!”
“Only you would think that way, Lex.”
“Get your things ready, you’re taking a trip.”
“No.”
He turned his head toward the door behind him. “Ms. Sullivan is ready now,” he called, and her two bodyguards entered the room.
“No!” she cried, backing away, her eyes frantically searching a for way around them, a way to escape, then struggling furiously against them as they reached for her, grasping her arms as she fought them bitterly.
Lex did nothing, but look on. “Say goodnight, Chloe.” He said coldly, as a cloth covered her face, and the sweet smell of chloroform invaded her nostrils. Her body went limp in a guard’s arms as blackness engulfed her. “Dr. Benson is waiting for her,” Lex addressed them. “Get her out of here.”
End Chapter 9
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