Disclaimer: Again, with the not owning. Set post-Sacrifice. I had a hard time deciding whether this was Tollie friendship, or Chlollie. I think it's Chlollie-but it just so happens to have lots of Tess. Yup. *rationalizes*

"What part of staying away from me and my friends was unclear?"

Tess felt her stomach drop, but she tried to keep her face blank, emotionless. She was treading dangerous territory with Oliver-this would require graceful deflection. His voice sounded barely controlled, and in that moment, she believed that he could hurt her.

Knew he would hurt her, if she gave him reason to do so.

She stayed where she was, staring out of her window. The view, however, was the last thing on her mind.

A distraction. She needed a distraction. Well, technically she needed something to distract him-but that was besides the point.

She was screwed, wasn't she?

She turned from her window, which she'd been gazing out of-just taking a few moments to appreciate life, considering that a few days before, she'd kind of been dead. It may have lasted mere moments, but any time spent dead was still . . . well, dead.

Rambling. Yes, because letting her mind ramble while Oliver awaited a response from her was really going to help his mood.

She could feel the tension in the air. Oh, now this was a bad romance novel, wasn't it? And his muscles rippled . . . in anger.

He was definitely angry.

She met his eyes.

Distractions.

"You know, you ought to thank me."

Confusion broke the tension in his face.

Aha.

"What? She didn't tell you? I gave her a little wake up call. Consider it a parting gift-my way of saying thanks for the memories."

This might work.

"What kind of mind game are you playing now, Tess?" Oliver wasn't as scary anymore. Sure, he was still furious-she could see it in his face, in the combative stance, and she could still hear it in his voice.

But he was also intrigued.

Gotcha.

"Chloe's a little more . . . attentive, isn't she? Maybe a little less skittish. More affectionate?"

Oliver's face told her that she was right.

"You don't think that just happens out of the blue, do you?"

Oliver was losing patience, but he also really wanted to know what Tess was trying to get at.

Chloe had been different since Watchtower had been breached, but he'd thought maybe it was because of Zod.

Then again, Oliver had almost died countless times, and although after the whole Checkmate fiasco they'd gotten closer . . . well, it didn't compare to the serious change that had taken place with Chloe.

She was different. Happier. Well, as happy as she could possibly be with the whole pending apocalypse/end of the world-but she was, indeed, all of the things that Tess was hinting at.

He debated between directing the conversation back to his original intended threat and questioning Tess on what exactly had happened between her and Chloe.

Chloe had been remarkably close-mouthed on the subject.

Curiosity won out. He sighed inwardly-well, as much as someone could sigh inwardly.

"What are you getting at, Tess?"

Bingo.

Tess considered toying with him a little longer, until she realized that if she'd bothered being honest with Chloe, she could do the same for Oliver.

She gathered her resolve.

"She was waiting for you to leave, Oliver."

Shock, but only for a moment. "I don't know what you think you know about my relationship with Chloe, but that doesn't exactly describe our . . . relationship."

"Why did she build Watchtower, Oliver? To keep people out. She was trying to keep you out, but that didn't work. What did you do, storm the castle?" She couldn't help herself, had to tease.

"Chloe and I are friends, coworkers." Oliver tried to rationalize.

"With benefits. One of which is painfully obvious from the look on your face whenever you look at her." Oh, hell, she was going to needle him.

"You get this dopey, puppy dog look on your face." She mocked him, with her own "sad face."

Her voice turned wistful as she continued, "You look like you want nothing more than to just be with her, sink into her. But you also look sad, which means that if someone's holding back, it's her."

That was true.

Oliver felt his heart clench. No one likes to be reminded that the woman they love, doesn't love them.

It still didn't quite make sense. "Since you seem to have all the answers, Tess, then why is she the one who you claim was waiting for me to leave? That doesn't really make sense then, does it?"

Tess let the barest hint of a smile shape her lips. "That, Oliver, is simple. She doesn't let you get close to her, because she expects you to leave.

Oliver opened his mouth, obviously ready to interrupt.

"Shush, Ollie. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Can you think of a single person who hasn't left her?"

"I won't."

Tess wanted to laugh-partially because of how ludicrous it was that she was talking to her ex about the woman he loved. Not only that, she was helping him.

Why was she doing this? She cared about Oliver, even if she didn't want to.

But she was going to go with self-preservation. Yes, that must be it. That was why she was doing this.

Of course.

Tess decided it was time to finish this horrid, painful conversation. Awkward, awkward. Awkward.

Ugh.

"She has no reason to think that Oliver. In fact, considering how you used to go around saying how Lois was the one who got away-well, the one you wanted more than anyone you'd ever wanted before, but you left her anyway. I don't know Oliver, why do you think Chloe would think you'd leave her?" She didn't mention that she knew he wouldn't, he needed this.

He needed to understand.

"Chloe . . . she's different." He stuttered out.

He was infuriating.

"Does she know that?" she bit out. Now she was the one who was angry.

Poor Chloe, having to deal with this complete . . . nimrod. Yup, that's what he was.

They stared at each other, across the room-her in front of the window, him in the middle of the room, seemingly as far as he'd managed to get before he'd felt the need to explode at her.

Oh, look at Tess. The drama queen. He hadn't really exploded, she thought. Hmm.

She realized that he was still staring at her. Or, maybe through her. He seemed lost in his thoughts. She really needed to stop this mind-babbling nonsense.

Time for a getaway.

As she started to move towards him, she began to talk. "So, what are you going to do about it? I suggest . . . talking to her. I know you don't have a lot of practice, after all, most of your bimbos barely manage to string together words to form sentences, I'd imagine. I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"Does she . . . does she want me to leave?" Oliver questioned, vulnerability clouding his face.

This was frustrating. "No, Ollie. I think she wants you to stay. But I think you have to do more than just convince her that you're not going to leave her." She was beginning to take sick pleasure in this. " She stood a few feet away from him, to the side. Practically whispering in his ear.

He turned to her,"What exactly, do you have in mind?"

She smiled, "Woo her."

Realization dawned.

Ah. There we go.

"Go." He seemed surprised at that. "Now, shoo!"

She was enjoying this way too much. "You have a business meeting, right? Out of town? Gives you a few days to set the plan into motion."

"What plan?"

Did she really have to give him a step-by-step manual?

"Your plan to make her realize that she's in love with you, and to make her accept that you're in love with her."

"Oh."

Tess sighed. "Go."

He went.

She sat at her desk. Damn, she was tired.

All in a day's work.

And she still had to find that damned Book of Rao.