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Classes had ended a couple of hours ago, and Chloe had just been sitting at the Torch, trying to throw together a couple of articles in case she didn’t get enough articles for the next issue when one of the email alerts she had set up popped on the screen. She read the news carefully and her stomach dropped. LuthorCorp was preparing to absorb a major competitor as its subsidiary.
According to the source, which was a website that specialized in mergers and acquisitions for investors (which she had been following closely for this very purpose), details of the transaction were still being cleared out, but they expected it to be concluded before the end of the quarter.
Instantly, she began her research, trying to figure out something specific, something that would tell her for sure whether or not this competitor was Queen Industries, but even as she read, she reached for the landline and tried Oliver’s phone. Call after call, it rang repeatedly until it went to voicemail. After the third voicemail asking him to call her and saying it was urgent, she stopped leaving them, but kept on calling.
She couldn’t find anything concrete, but if the alert had just come out, it might take a few hours, or even days before anything came out in the business section of any of the major newspapers. With that thought, she searched the Star City Register and some of the local business news blogs and sites, but nothing there either.
As she tried Oliver’s phone yet again, it didn’t ring. It went straight to voicemail. Her stomach dropped at that. While rationally she knew she had probably just drained the battery with all the calls, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was okay. She knew she couldn’t go to the mansion because Lex was probably there, so she decided to try and focus on research for a little while longer. If she didn’t hear from Oliver in another hour or so, she was going after him regardless of the consequences.
When a little over an hour went by, she couldn’t wait anymore. She packed up her things and rushed out of the Torch, trying to call him from her phone once more on her way to her car. She just hoped he had someone he trusted in Star City that would give him answers.
* * *
Oliver was pouring himself a glass of juice when he heard the footfall behind him and quickly turned to see who it was. He grimaced involuntarily at the sight of Lionel. Just his luck. He nodded at the older man, picking up the juice carton to slide it back into one of the refrigerators. Maybe if he just stayed quiet, Lionel would simply leave him alone.
“I was looking for you,” Lionel told him, a mostly neutral expression on his face. “Surprised to see you are actually here.”
“Well, I live here,” he said, his voice and expression every bit as neutral as Lionel’s. Fortunately, Oliver had a good poker face.
“Occasionally,” Lionel said. “Come to my office.” It wasn’t a suggestion, and he didn’t wait for an answer before starting to the second floor.
Oliver sighed softly as the older man vanished from the kitchen and he rubbed a hand over his face, taking a long drink of his juice and wishing it had something mixed with it. Something strong. Like vodka. He carried the glass with him and reluctantly headed toward the study where Lionel was already waiting for him.
“Close the door,” he told Oliver, resting his elbows and holding his hands together over his desk.
He rolled his eyes at the formality, shutting the doors and taking another drink of juice, turning to watch Lionel silently.
“Have a seat, Oliver,” he said patiently.
“I’d prefer to stand,” he answered, arching an eyebrow. “What’s this about?”
Lionel narrowed his eyes, but just for a second. “It has come to my attention you haven’t been sleeping in your room.”
“So?” He shrugged a little.
“You are a minor, Oliver. And you are under my supervision. I have given you a lot of freedom since you arrived, but if this continues, I will need to be more strict.”
“I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in a few short months. I don’t really need much supervision at this point, Lionel.” He felt his jaw tighten just a little.
“You are still my responsibility,” he said again, his voice eerily calm. “I don’t think I need to remind you that your actions have consequences beyond yourself and far beyond your control.”
“Fine,” he said shortly. “I’ll sleep in my room. Can I go now?”
“I also expect respect while you are living in my house,” he said, eyes narrowing slightly.
“It’s not my choice to live here,” he responded evenly, taking another drink.
“Your choice doesn’t matter at the moment,” he said with a smirk.
“Neither does your desire for respect,” Oliver said with a shrug, turning and opening the door once again.
“Oliver,” he called, his voice low as he stood up.
Lionel certainly loved the sound of his own voice, that was for sure. Annoyed, he glanced over his shoulder. “What?”
“It would be... advisable that you reconsider that statement,” he said smoothly then smirked as he sat back down. “That will be all.”
“Sure thing,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and walking away.
* * *
Considering Lionel had been up and around, Oliver chose to skip breakfast the following morning and headed straight to school after he was done with his shower. He made it there twenty minutes before school was set to start. He’d wanted to get there early anyway because he’d tried to call Chloe back the night before, but hadn’t gotten an answer. He’d checked out her house, which was empty and dark. Aside from the paper, he was officially out of places to look. But he knew Chloe wouldn’t be missing school, so he slid his bag into his locker and headed for the Torch, surprised to see it was still dark.
She was always there by now.
“What are you doing here?” A male voice called from a few steps behind him.
He started, caught off guard, turning and spotting Pete heading in his direction. “Oh, uh--I was gonna see if I could borrow Chloe’s biology notes,” he said, arching his eyebrows.
His eyes narrowed at him and he shook his head. “She’s not gonna be here today,” he told him, reaching to unlock the Torch.
“Why not?” Oliver questioned, confused.
“What is it to you?” Pete asked suspiciously.
“She’s my lab partner,” he answered, chest tightening involuntarily at the lie.
“She’s at the hospital,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know when she’s gonna be out, so you’re on your own.”
“The hospital?” he echoed, dread washing over him. Oliver shook his head. “What happened?”
Pete hesitated, the guy seemed worried, but he didn’t think Chloe would want him to know too much, considering. “Car accident, I gotta get the paper done for her,” he said as he turned to walk into the Torch.
All the color drained from Oliver’s face and he couldn’t find his voice as Pete headed inside the Torch’s office.
Oh God.
* * *
Chloe placed a hand on the side of the bed as she started to wake up, frowning and opening her eyes slowly when the bed ended before it should have and there was no sign of Oliver. She must have been dreaming he was there. She squinted at the brightness and tensed a little when she realized she was in one of the familiar rooms of Smallville Gen.
“Clark?” She asked in confusion when she saw him standing in the corner of the room, by the window.
He blew out a breath, turning to look at her. “Thank God,” he murmured, moving closer to her bed.
She swallowed as well as she could, her mouth dry. “What happened?”
“You were in a car accident,” he told her, looking at her worriedly.
Her eyes widened at that and she tried to sit up but winced, her back and neck were incredibly sore. “Did anyone get hurt?”
“Just you,” he said quietly, taking a deep breath. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, is there water?” She asked, stopping when she lifted her right hand and it was heavy, only then noticing the cast and groaning. “Did I break anything else?”
Clark shook his head, picking up the pitcher of water and pouring her a cup. “No, but you have a mild concussion.”
She drank almost the entire glass, knowing she must still be feeling whatever painkillers that had given her because her whole body was heavy and numb. Her head felt fuzzy as she tried to remember the accident. Once she was done with the water, she handed him the glass back. “Thanks. How long was I out and how long until I get to go home?”
He arched his eyebrows, setting the glass down on the table by her bed once more. “Since last night, and I have no idea. Probably not today,” he said uncertainly.
“Last night?” Chloe frowned, her eyes widening a little. “Oliver,” she muttered, staring at Clark. “Do you have my phone?”
He blinked, frowning at the other man’s name. “No...why?”
She stilled and hesitated. “I think he might be in danger.”
Clark cocked his head to the side. “Why would Oliver be in danger?” he asked, shaking his head slowly.
“I don’t know for sure.” She shifted on the bed, pushing herself up and wincing as she did. “I need to talk to him.”
He started to say something else, then narrowed his eyes a little. “Looks like you have your chance,” he said, nodding slightly toward the door.
She couldn’t stop herself from sighing in relief when she saw Oliver walking into the room. She did stop herself from saying anything, though. It was bad enough that Clark knew he was there.
Clark noticed the other man’s face was very pale and he frowned, looking between them and trying to figure out what was going on.
“Can I have a few minutes with Chloe, please?” Oliver’s voice was barely audible.
When Clark looked at her, Chloe nodded a little. “It’s okay,” she told him quietly.
“I’ll be outside,” Clark told her, eyes narrowing at Oliver as he walked past him and left the room.
Oliver waited until the door was shut before quickly moving over to her bedside, worry in his eyes. “What happened?” he whispered. “Are you okay?” Obviously she wasn’t okay, he thought, giving himself a mental kick. Her arm was in a cast, and she was lying in a hospital bed.
“I’m okay, just sore,” she said, holding out her left hand toward him. “I don’t know what happened, I vaguely remember losing control of the car but...” She shook her head then looked at him worriedly. “Are you okay?”
His eyebrows furrowed worriedly. “Yeah, I’m fine. I wasn’t in the car with you,” he murmured, wondering if she’d hit her head.
“I know,” she told him, taking a deep breath then squinting as she looked at him. “I was calling you yesterday, I left you a few voicemails and I texted you. I was coming to see you.”
“I got sidelined by Lionel,” he admitted. “When I returned your call, you didn’t answer, so I went looking for you this morning but you weren’t at the Torch and you weren’t at home.”
“Of course you did.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Do you have anyone you trust in your parents’ company?”
“My parents’ company?” he echoed, confusion flickering over his features.
Chloe nodded, chewing on the inside of her lip. “Back when we weren’t talking, I was trying to figure out what Lionel wanted with you and I think he might be after Queen Industries,” she said carefully, glancing down then back at him.
Oliver stared at her for a long moment, holding his breath and then moving to sit down in the chair beside her bed, letting that sink in.
“I don’t know if he is or not,” she told him, glancing at the door to make sure it was closed then looking back at him, turning slightly toward him but not moving much. “Oliver, I got an alert last night about LuthorCorp buying out a competitor. Aside from Wayne Enterprise...”
“Right,” he murmured, rubbing a hand over his face. Like it wasn’t bad enough that his girlfriend was lying in a hospital bed. Now Lionel was trying to take over his parents’ company? “Well I guess that explains why he fought so hard to be my guardian when Dr. Swann died.”
“I’m sorry, Ollie,” she said sincerely. “And like I said, I don’t know if it is for sure or not, and I wasn’t able to find anything that said Queen Industries specifically but, I think you need to talk to someone.”
He nodded slightly. It wasn’t like he’d had any doubt that Lionel’d had some kind of ulterior motive when the older man had taken him in. Still, he couldn’t help but feel numb. “Yeah, I will. I’ll call Mr. Sutton. He’s an old friend of my dad’s, pretty high up in the company. My dad trusted him.”
“Good,” Chloe relaxed a little and leaned back against the pillows. “I’m glad you have someone you can trust.”
He shifted his gaze to her once more. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” he asked, rising to his feet again and reaching out to touch her cheek.
She leaned into his touch and smiled a little. “I just needed to make sure you were okay, although if you can get me out of here, I won’t complain.”
He leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. “I don’t think there’s much I can do about that,” he admitted quietly.
Chloe closed her eyes for a moment then looked up at him. “You need to be careful, Ollie.”
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I know,” he murmured. He gazed down at her. “I don’t think I’m gonna be able to stay over anymore. Lionel knows I haven’t been staying at the mansion all the time.”
Her face fell at that and she looked up at him. He didn’t stay every night but a couple of times a week, when they hadn’t been able to see each other much during the day. “I wish there was somewhere else you could stay, if this is true, the mansion is going to be dangerous for you.”
“Especially if I manage to stop his plans,” he murmured.
She lifted her good hand to his cheek and nodded a little. “What are we going to do?”
He turned his head, kissing the palm of her hand. “We’ll figure it out,” he whispered. Somehow. Because there wasn’t another option.
* * *
As soon as school was over, Lex made his way to the hospital, carrying a medium sized bag in one hand that had the name of the hospital’s gift shop plastered on the front of it. He located Chloe’s room, lifting a hand to wave at Clark across the room and then approached the bed. “How’s the arm?”
Chloe smiled a little when Lex came in and shrugged. “Still broken, unfortunately.”
He nodded slightly, holding the sack out toward her good hand. “Here.”
She reached for the bag and arched her eyebrows, smiling when she pulled out a copy of the Torch with a headline by Pete Ross on an article talking about her accident. “I guess that’s one way of making the front page. Thanks, Lex.”
“Sure thing,” he told her, sitting down in the chair beside her bed.
“Since you have company, I should go eat something,” Clark said, smiling at the two of them.
“Go home,” Chloe told him. “Dad will be by soon enough when he leaves works and hopefully they will let me out when he gets here.” When he started to say something, Chloe nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Lex couldn’t help but smirk as Clark smiled sheepishly and then headed out the door. He shook his head a little and looked at Chloe. “So predictable.”
“That’s Clark Kent,” she agreed, pulling out the rest of the contents of the bag. “Gee, thanks, I don’t know what I would do without math to keep me entertained,” she said, glancing at Lex after she pulled out her homework.
He smirked even more. “Hey, I bought you a couple magazines, too.”
“At least there’s that,” she set everything on the bed and shook her head. “I just wanna go home,” she muttered then looked over at him. “Did you happen to hear how much damage was done to my car? Clark didn’t know much.”
He shook his head a little. “No, but I could make some calls,” he offered, arching his eyebrows at her.
“It’s okay,” she told him, shrugging a little. “I guess Dad will know more when he comes by.”
“Doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re okay,” he said, looking down for a moment, sounding very sincere.
Chloe watched him for a moment and pursed her lips together. While she hated Lionel, she and Lex had always gotten along, aside from their disagreement regarding Oliver and then him lying to her about the Torch. But she knew that despite those things, he wasn’t a bad guy, he was just insecure in ways and especially where Oliver was concerned. She really wished the two of them could get past whatever happened at Excelsior and would get along. “Thanks,” she told him. “I’m glad you stopped by.” She hadn’t been hanging out with him and Clark nearly as much since she started seeing Oliver and she did feel bad about that.
Lex nodded a little, looking up at her again. “I can hang out here for awhile if you want. I don’t have any homework.” He shrugged. “But if you want to sleep, I can go.”
“Stay,” she told him, smirking. “Tell me what I missed in Clark and Lana’s never-ending soap opera.”
At that, he rolled his eyes. “Lana missing Clark while he was here with you,” he said. “I had to eat lunch with her. By myself.” He grimaced.
Chloe winced at that. “I’m sorry. She’s not that bad when she’s not talking about Clark, but if she was missing him, I’m sure that was awful.”
“It wasn’t fun. But there are worse people I could’ve been stuck with,” he said, shrugging.
“Oh yeah, you could have been surrounded by Mandy, Mara, and Rhonda,” she smirked. She guessed he meant Oliver but she didn’t want him to bring him up, so instead she decided to bring up the head cheerleader and her sidekicks.
He grimaced. “Perish the thought, Chloe. Even I don’t have that much patience.”
“I don’t think anyone does.” She arched her eyebrows and shook her head. “But I’m sure Lana will tell Clark how nice you were to keep her company today.”
Lex rolled his eyes. “If she can remember my name when she sees him,” he said wryly.
“There is that.” Chloe wrinkled her nose. “At least Clark should be in tomorrow and hopefully, I’ll be home. I have so much to do for the Torch, there’s no point being stuck here.”
“Minus that whole broken arm thing.” He frowned, looking at her.
“I can still type with it,” she told him, arching her eyebrows.
“Won’t that hurt?”
“Probably after a while?” She made a face and shook her head. “I’ll just be glad to be out of here.”
“Yeah, hospitals suck,” he agreed.
“Living in Smallville, I feel like we’ve been stuck in them more often than normal people our age,” she said quietly, watching him.
“No kidding.” He grimaced. “Maybe I can hire someone to type for you or something.”
“I’m okay, Lex. Thanks.” She squinted a little, watching him. He looked almost guilty, he was certainly quieter than usual. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “You need anything?”
“I’m good,” she told him quietly, smiling a little but keeping her eyes on him. Something was definitely going on and considering Clark was too busy thinking of Lana 24/7 and vice versa, she figured it was up to her to find out what it was.