Secret Identities Chapter 21

Secret Identities
Chapter 21

Los Angeles freeway traffic was horrid. No, it was worse than horrid, it was downright hell on earth. It would take her forever to get home at this rate. She could have taken a limo, but Chloe usually didn’t mind driving. In fact many an amazing writing idea, or creative thought was born while sitting behind the wheel. But she didn’t want to think right now. She needed to get home.

Baby. Chloe’s hand slid down over her flat belly as so many emotions filled her at once. Excitement, fear, concern, worry, uncertainty, more excitement, more fear. Oh my God, I’m going to be a mother.

She didn’t have to wonder over Oliver’s reaction. In the two years they’d been married, he’d often hinted at his desire for children with her. But he also knew how important her drive and desire was to establish herself in a new city. He encouraged her to fulfill her dreams, make contacts, and establish ties in a new, unfamiliar place. He truly was her best (and in the beginning, her only) friend in Star City. She knew he wanted a family, something he didn’t have growing up as an only child, having lost his parents at a young age. Chloe could understand the desire completely, given the circumstances of her own childhood. Yes. He would be utterly thrilled with the news.

She could only hope and pray that her healing ability wouldn’t cause her body to reject the fetus as something foreign. But, she mused, there was one possibility the doctor had not considered. If she could heal others through touch, couldn’t it be possible that any child she carried actually be born ‘super-healthy’? After all, you couldn’t get much closer to touching someone when they were inside your womb. This final thought gave her more hope, calming her nerves somewhat, as she headed for the exit ramp to Star City. The first stop she’d be making was to the Queen Industries building.

Chloe wiped the tears from her cheeks, and for the first time of many more times to come, she rubbed her belly lightly and addressed her unborn child in a hushed whisper. “Let’s go tell daddy.” She then picked up her cell phone, pressing a button. “Hello, Lois? I have some news!”

* * * * *

“Mr. Queen, there’s a call for you on line two. A Mr. Brickwell?”

Oliver thought his heart had stopped. He dropped the report he was reading onto his desk. “Thanks, Mary. I’ll take it.”

He took a deep breath, then pressed the speaker phone button. “Queen here.”

A deep, rumbling, calm voice emitted from the speaker. “Hello Mr. Queen. I have one question for you. Do you know where your wife is?”

That was it. Click.

“Hello?”

Dial tone.

Oliver stood, running a hand through his hair, and loosening his tie. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, dialing her desk at the Gazette. Voice mail. He tried her cell phone. Voice mail. He called the Gazette main desk.

“I’m sorry Mr. Queen, she’s not in today, called in sick earlier.”

“Thank you.”

He called home. No answer. Voice mail.

He returned to his desk phone, pushing a button, his panic rising. “Mary, has Mrs. Queen called at all today?”

“No sir, I’d have been certain to let you know.”

“Thanks.”

Where the hell was she? Did Brickwell have her? He knew that Brick was ruthless, he’d already been responsible for the death of the previous mayor of Star City and had kidnapped the mayor’s daughter. What would he do to Chloe for meeting with a source bent on exposing his weakness? Panic rose in him like wildfire. Panic, fear, rage, all seemed to race within him at once. Oliver began to pace. Think! He honestly did not know what to do with himself at this moment.

“Mr. Queen, your wife is here.”

He pressed the intercom button. “What?”

“Your wife is on her way up, sir.”

The elevator doors opened upon his spacious office and Chloe entered simply beaming, but not even the sight of her beautiful smile had calmed him.

“Where the hell have you been!?”

“Ollie...,” Her smile faded, brows furrowing as she approached him. “What’s wrong?”

“I told you, Chloe. I knew this would happen. I told you that Brick would find out!”

“Ollie.”

He gripped her shoulders. “He knows, Chloe. He knows. He just called here, asking if I knew where you were!”

“Oliver.”

“I tried calling you, you weren’t at work, you weren’t at home! Where were you, Chloe? You don’t know what he’s capable of!”

“Since I’m here alive and well, he’s obviously trying to get you to react, and it looks like it’s worked.” He calmed some at her words and eased his grip on her shoulders. “Ollie, I’m fine. I’m here. Brick is playing some sick game with you. Nothing’s happened.” She reached up to touch his cheek with soft fingertips. He closed his eyes in relief, and circled his arms around her, his hands settling on the small of her back. He seemed to deflate at once. His head bowed and he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

“I went to see Dr. Reynolds,” she said quietly, stroking his nape, and slipping her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp gently. She could feel the tension leaving his body at her touch.

He opened his eyes, and lifted his head looking down at her, brows furrowing. “Why? And why didn’t you say anything about it this morning before I left?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck more securely, pressing herself against him. “I wanted to be sure.” Stepping up on tip-toe, she placed a kiss to the dimple in his chin, then rubbed her cheek against his, and whispered softly in his ear. “We’re going to have a baby, Oliver.”

Chloe tipped her head back to see his reaction. He blinked several times in rapid succession, and his mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came forth. His breath seemed to catch in his throat.

When he remembered to breathe, he was finally able to utter one word, barely. “Baby?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes.”

“A-Are…are you okay? Do you… need to sit down?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine.”

“I need to sit down,” he breathed, pulling her over to the nearby oversized leather sofa in his office. "Baby, huh?" He asked again with a grin as he settled her down on top of him, enfolding her in his arms, and kissing her softly. "You know, I've just gone from being the most panicked man alive to the happiest man alive in the space of about five minutes."

She sat cradled in his lap, her back against the armrest, her head on his shoulder and told him all that Dr. Reynolds had said. Oliver placed a protective hand, fingers splayed over her flat belly and listened to her, yet some part of him was still stunned. It felt as though he were having some surreal dream. He was going to be a father, and it hadn’t quite sunk in yet. A child with Chloe. It's what he'd secretly wanted, hoped for. He didn’t think her healing ability would interfere, and he agreed that if anything, the baby would be healthier than most because of her ability. He was worried about Brick he’d said, it was too dangerous for her here. He should send her to Smallville to stay with Lois for awhile until things calmed down.

She lay her hand atop his. “I’m not leaving you, you’re stuck with me, and all my hormonal mood swings and cravings, and morning sickness and swollen feet, and back pain, and my inability to sleep at night because I can’t find a comfortable position, or because the baby is kicking me all night,” she said. “Besides, you would never back away before.”

He turned his hand, grasping hers, gazing down at her engagement ring and wedding band, absently passing his thumb and forefinger around the brilliant diamonds and gold several times. “I’ve never had a wife and a baby on the way before, Chloe.”

“We can get him, Oliver. Take Star City back. I had an idea. It’s amazing what spending hours in traffic can do for the imagination.”

"Have I told you yet today that I love you?" he whispered.

"Not since this morning," she grinned, meeting his kiss.

* * * * *

“Impulse, are you sure he agreed to be here?”

“Yup. He got the message. You’ve challenged him, called him out, he’ll be here.”

“Everyone keep an eye out. Watchtower, you okay?”

“I’m fine, Archer. Let’s do this. Be careful.”

Brick finally appeared, larger than any of the JLA members, with thick reddish skin and white hair. Oliver knew that in order to engage him, he needed to get close enough. He didn’t have Brick’s invulnerability, but The Green Arrow had a new trick in his quiver, and he was going to use it on Brick. The battle was waged mainly from rooftops in the darkened city. The other JLA members distracted Brick, while the Emerald Archer moved in for the final shot. He took careful aim, and let his arrow fly. The glue arrow exploded in Brick’s mouth blocking his airways, causing him to begin suffocating.

Watchtower’s voice sounded in Arrow’s earpiece. “Make a deal with him.”

The Green Arrow warned Brick that unless he agreed to cease his criminal activities, the next time they met, he’d let him die. He’d warned him too, that if he ever again threatened or came anywhere near any member of the press, he’d die, and be exposed in the Gazette. Brick agreed, and was true to his word. Chloe never had to write the article about him.

* * * * *

Oliver Queen reclined beside his wife, half-sitting on the hospital bed and smoothed the hair from her face. She opened her eyes at his familiar touch and looked up at him, smiling faintly. He pressed his lips to her temple as he put his arm around her, resting his cheek against the side of her head. He gazed down at his son and reached out to touch his fuzzy blonde hair, and pink cheek with a curled forefinger. The baby’s eyes were closed and his tiny mouth made little sucking motions.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“You’re beautiful, Sidekick.”

“I could look at him for hours. His tiny fingers and toes. He’s perfect.”

Oliver grinned, shrugging lightly. “Of course. He has perfect parents.”

Chloe smiled, lifting her hand to cup her husband’s cheek, and turning her head to kiss him.

“Welcome to the world, Connor Queen. It’s not as perfect as you are, but we’re working on it.”

The End.