Full Summary: Two years after the events in "Calendar Girl," Chloe finds herself days from beginning her final year at SCU when Oliver suddenly returns to Star City. But between balancing her ambitions, school, and her investigative tendencies towards the new vigilantes in town, Chloe finds herself struggling to choose the life she wants.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The title/lyrics are from a song of the same name by Goo Goo Dolls. I also don't have a beta, so any mistakes are mine alone.
Warning: I sample from seasons 6-9, so there are spoilers, but this story is very much an alt-verse.

Thanks to: Everyone who read "Calendar Girl" and liking it enough to give me motivation to write this... here's hoping I live up to your expectations.

Notbroken

August

Time won't ever steal my soul
We're not broken, so please come home

August 9

As the band finished playing, Chloe walked onto the stage and upon seeing all the eyes on her, her smile instinctively widened as she lined herself up with the microphone.

"Thank you for coming tonight," she says, grinning as she waits for the applause to die down. "They say that kids are our future, yet thousands of our inner-city youth don't know anything outside of what they see in their own backyard. Drugs, alcohol, violence... it's the only life they know. Today, Queen Industries is working with the Star City Public School Board to build two inner-city schools, but with your help, we can increase that number to three."

Feeling the nerves getting to her, Chloe's eyes caught Lois' in the crowd. Her cousin gave her a thumbs up, motivating Chloe to press on. "I know what you're thinking. Why should we help these kids?" She paused, curious to see what reaction that question would receive from people who seem to have everything. "It's about reaching their potential, guiding them down a path they didn't even know existed. People accuse you of living in your ivory towers, let's prove them wrong together. Three-quarters of the proceeds of this event are going towards this project, so show that you care about this city and make a difference."

Chloe was more than aware that she just indirectly insulted the crowd in front of her, so when she stopped talking, she half expected the speech to fail. But this was a risky project, and she figured at this point it was either go big or go home.

Looking around, she noticed people were nodding, and after a moment, people were clapping again. Repressing her sigh of relief, Chloe grinned again and held out her glass. "To the future," she concluded before leaving the stage.

Dropping off her glass of champagne to the nearest waiter, she made the necessary smiles, and stared at the right people as she worked her way back into the crowd.

"I'll admit, when you read that speech, I wasn't sure it was going to work, but you've got balls, Sullivan."

She turned around and saw Greg MacKenzie standing in front of her. Out of everyone on the board, he had been Chloe's biggest critic since she stepped foot into Queen Industries. He was never a real fan of Oliver either, but because he saw glimpses of his father in him, Greg dealt with him. Chloe, meanwhile, was a nobody as far as he was concerned and he was shocked to find out a country bumpkin from Kansas would be running things, so seeing the man actually smiling in front of her caught Chloe completely off-guard.

"Thank you?" was all she managed to say.

His smile turned into a simple grin as he began to walk away from her. Chloe was waiting for the inevitable 'but' as he passed her, but instead, his parting words were, "Great work boss."

And with that, Chloe had finally convinced the final person on the board that she was worthy. Letting her relief out this time, she slowly approached the window and looked over the familiar skyline. Before she was just a dot on the ground level, and now she practically owned the city. It took a lot of mistakes, a lot of trial and error, but it looked like she had finally made it. People no longer looked at her like a girl who just got lucky. They had finally accepted her, and it felt so gratifying.

Taking a step back to see her reflection, she felt herself catching her breath at the image staring back at her. A lot had changed in a couple years. Where there used to be youthful and sloppy curls, there was now a flawless straight bob. Before, her definition of fancy was maybe a twenty-dollar hairpin, but now she had diamond accessories. Smoothing her fingers over her ivory silk gown, Chloe knew that she was no longer in Kansas.

Even though this had been her life for two years, she still wasn't used to it. The fancy parties, the big decisions, it was still over her head, but she sold the act well because beneath the confident exterior was still that insecure girl that came to Star City because of heartbreak. It was because of him that she got over that, it was because of him that she started believing in herself... it was because of him that she stood where she did now.

"You should see me now," she whispered.

"He would be proud of you Chloe."

Seeing the familiar reflection behind her, Chloe turned around with a wide grin. "Clark!" Wrapping her arms around his back, she said, "You made it."

Clark smiled. "I missed the first part of the speech to stop a carjacking, but you know that I wouldn't miss your big moment for the world."

Relaxing her head on his shoulder, she whispered, "Do you really think that he'd be..."

"Both your dad and Oliver," Clark interjected.

"Thanks," Chloe said as she stepped back. Fully opening her eyes again, she looked around Clark to see her cousin approaching them. "Hey Lois."

"Hey cuz... you did great up there." Turning to Clark, she playfully punched his arm. "Smallville, better late than never."

Rubbing the spot for effect, Clark said sarcastically. "Nice to see you too Lois."

The three of them heard someone clear their throat, and Chloe noticed Greg standing behind Lois. "Miss Sullivan, I was hoping to borrow you for a minute."

"Umm..."

Lois took initiative by grabbing Clark's forearm and trying to move him towards the crowd, even though all of them knew it would be a futile effort. "Alright Clark... we're cramping Chlo's style here. Show me what you're made of on the floor."

His eyes widened. "Dancing?"

Lois titled her head to the side and gave him a 'duh' expression, before dulling it to say, "Yes silly."

Clark looked to Chloe for help, but she just chuckled. "Go... but Lois, know that he has a tendency of having two left feet."

Lois shrugged it off before looking back at Clark. "Ditto, that's what makes it fun. C'mon."

Chloe could only watch as her cousin dragged her best friend onto the floor and place their arms awkwardly. It had taken a lot of work for them to see eye-to-eye, but it looked like they were finally tolerating each other's company. Meanwhile, Chloe took one last look at the window, and for a moment, she saw his reflection smiling back at her. Blinking back tears, she began to follow Greg through the ballroom.

August 24

After hitting the snooze button on her alarm clock, Chloe got out of bed slowly and started to head towards the kitchen for her morning coffee. Even though not much had changed in two years, she hated how empty the penthouse felt to her. Initially, Chloe seemed to get used to it, but since Evie accepted an internship with the Tigers, causing her to move to Michigan in May, the penthouse had gotten that much bigger.

She actually considered turning the job down, but Chloe insisted that she go, especially once Scott got a job in Detroit. Evie made sure to stay in touch though, sending letters as she travelled the country, which were one of the few things that made Chloe consistently smile.

Lois meanwhile, had worked her way up at the Register, and the job kept her busy, even sending her on various trips around the globe for assignments. As for Clark, Chloe could only read stories on his numerous saves as he began making a difference as the infamous Blur in Metropolis. However, seeing everyone living their dreams left Chloe with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. She was happy for them, but it made her miss having a normal life, and for some reason, it made her miss him that much more.

She had spent months of time, money and resources trying to find him, only to come up empty. However, she still refused to believe that he was gone for good. Even though the papers had declared him dead the whole time, and everyone around her told her it was just a bad case of denial, she wouldn't believe it. That small percentage that he was alive was what kept her going on some days.

Staring at the steam rising from her coffee cup, she couldn't believe how much time had passed. This time next year, she was supposed to be back in Kansas, at the Planet, but now everything was up in the air. Instead of pushing papers and working her way up to the bottom, she had been living the "good life" as some people called it. But Chloe would have given it all away just to see his smile or hear his voice again.

"Just a few more steps to home sweet home."

Chloe shut her eyes in disbelief after the coffee cup slipped from her hands and crashed on the floor. Great, she thought, now I'm hearing his voice in my head.

She bent down to start picking up the fragments when she noticed that the voice didn't stop, in fact it had gotten louder, causing Chloe to pop up and run towards the door, praying she wasn't imagining things again. Opening the door and bringing her eyes up, she completely froze in the doorway.

It was him.

After being MIA for two years, his appearance was less than ideal, but it was him. Cuts spread out on his arm, more facial hair than she'd personally like on him, tattered clothes, but it was still Oliver.

She reached her hand out to touch him, praying it wasn't an apparition and upon feeling the contact, she managed to whisper, "I knew it," before going on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck. Opening her eyes, she noticed the dog tags sticking out his shirt, and Chloe felt her heart warming in realizing that he held onto them all this time. Of course, that wasn't the most important part. What mattered was that all that hope, the struggle, had been worth it... he was home.

Feeling his arms wrap around her back was the most satisfying feeling she had experienced in two years. "Sorry it took me so long." Simple words, yes, but Chloe wiped a single tear from her eye when he said them.

Finally letting go, Chloe stepped back, more than aware of the tears falling down her cheek. "That doesn't matter now."

He smiled back at her and for a minute, time seemed to stand still as they just stared at each other.

Then Chloe heard someone clear their throat. She shook from her trance and noticed that Oliver wasn't alone, but the sight of the other person caused Chloe's heart to sink, and hoped that it wouldn't show in her expression. She should have known that Oliver could find a woman even when he was supposed to be missing.

She was beautiful, with red hair framing a face that could be model-material, and legs like Lois'. Even though it was clear the woman had seen better days, Chloe knew that she paled in comparison to her.

Oliver swallowed as he turned to face the woman. "Sorry... Tess, this is my best friend, Chloe. Chloe, this is Tess... she saved my life on the island."

"Nice to meet you." Chloe said, clearing up her face as she backed away from the doorway. "Please... come in."

Tess walked by Chloe and into the main room. Looking back at her, Tess smirked. "It's good to finally meet the infamous Chloe Sullivan. Oliver talks about you all the time."

"Not allthe time." Oliver walked over to Tess and kissed her cheek.

"Can I get you guys anything? Water? I think I might have some leftover take-out."

Oliver grabbed Chloe's arm. "Relax. I'll grab myself a glass of water. Tess?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

Thinking of the broken coffee cup, Chloe stopped Oliver. "I'll get it." She rushed into the kitchen and tried to kill time. "So... all this time... you were on an island?"

Oliver started the story, describing how he ended up on the island, thinking that he was going to die, but after awhile, he changed his mind and fought for his survival. Tess arrived on the island as a hostage a few months ago, but she was able to save Oliver from the effects of a poisonous plant . Her kidnappers recognized Oliver and were planning on using him as leverage, but that same recognition allowed Oliver to return the favour to Tess when they threatened to her. Unfortunately, her friend, Megan, wasn't so lucky.

After handing Oliver his glass of water, Chloe looked over to Tess. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Twirling the bracelet on her wrist, Tess peered up at Chloe. "Thank you," she said genuinely.

They settled on the couch for the rest of the story, talking about how Oliver's bravery got them off the island, and how they bonded over their journey home. Chloe watched as he kissed the top of Tess' head as she talked about losing her friend and saw the way she smiled as Oliver squeezed her close to him. Never in Chloe's wildest dreams did she think it would go like this. She was happy to see him, but seeing that he had found someone else hurt, and she had to get out of there.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Tess." Her face softened as she looked at her friend. "Oliver... I'm glad you're home." Biting her lip, Chloe lifted herself from the couch, "I should probably get our your hair for a while though. Probably want to get re-acclimatized to civilization."

"Actually..."

"No, honestly, I'm meeting Lois for coffee soon and I need to get ready. Can't exactly meet her in my pyjamas can I?"

"I need to talk to you later."

"I'll be here," she said with a shrug.

Chloe ran into her...his... thebedroom and closed the door. Grabbing the first clothes she could find, Chloe then rummaged through her bag to locate her phone and frantically dialled Lois' number.

She answered on the third ring. "Lane."

There were so many thoughts going through her head, but in the end, only one of them mattered. "Oliver's alive."

Chloe could hear rustling in the back before Lois asked, "For real?"

Cradling her phone between her ear and her shoulder, Chloe whispered as she ran a brush through her hair. "Do you think I'd be calling you if he wasn't?"

"I didn't think you'd be calling anyone. I thought you'd guys would be making up for lost time. Wait... why are you whispering?"

Placing her phone properly in her hand, Chloe plopped on the bed and sighed. Looking over towards the door, she said, "He's in the other room... with... company."

Fortunately for Chloe, Lois got the hint. "I'll be downstairs in five."

"Thanks, Lois. I should be there soon."

Chloe pushed her phone into her bag as she approached her door. She wasn't ready to face it again, but she noticed they had settled on the balcony, so fortunately, Chloe was able to slip out of the apartment without them noticing.

~0~

Lois hung up the phone and looked up at the face in front of her. "You better be heading home, my cuz needs me."

Clark reached up and pushed Lois' hair behind her ear. "Feel like filling me in?"

"A certain blonde billionaire came to Chloe's door this morning."

"You mean...?"

Clark's eyes continued to widen, so Lois pushed him off her. "Well, it wasn't Lex Luthor."

"So Chloe was right."

Lois nodded, and then found her expression fall as she remembered the other part of their conversation. "I'm surprised as you are, but apparently he found a girlfriend during his hiatus."

He immediately rolled his eyes. "Go figure the guy ends up hurting her. I tried warning her."

Spinning around, Lois gave a glare in Clark's direction. "Thin ice, Clark. This is my cousin we're talking about, and besides, maybe Oliver has an explanation." Seeing Clark's reaction, Lois tilted her head in acknowledgment. "Okay, I don't buy that either, but that doesn't change the fact that Chloe's probably devastated right now, and the last thing she needs is an unsupportive best friend."

"You're right," Clark said as he walked towards the door. "Hey, while we're kind of on the subject of girlfriends... one of these days, I'd like to actually take you out somewhere."

"Maybe later. Considering everything that's going on right now, the last thing Chloe needs is to find out we're... involved," Lois said as she motioned her hand between them.

"I'll hold you to that Lois."

She kissed him quickly and then walked around him to reach the doorknob, only to twirl around before turning it. "Do I look okay?"

"You always look beautiful to me."

"Alright Smallville, less flattery, more whooshing," she whispered as she slowly opened the door.

After she saw Clark disappear, Lois exited the room, grabbed her purse from her desk and began to head to the coffee shop.

She should feel flattered that Clark took the time to cross the country just for seven minutes in heaven, but Clark wasn't Lois' normal squeeze, nor was she his. He was used to the girl next door, the calm demure girl that was Lana Lang.

Sure, time had changed Lana when she tried to bring Lex down through some unorthodox methods, but to Clark, she would always be that innocent girl, and Lois knew that she didn't measure up to that expectation.

Lois was brash, blunt, and a bit of a wild child, but she knew that she was capable of shelving it when it mattered. So when Lana left a year ago and Clark had showed up in Star City looking for Chloe, it had been Lois who answered the door to the penthouse and offered her assistance.

Initially, part of Lois wanted to say Serves you right for breaking my cousin's heart, but she knew that wasn't going to help and Clark was understandingly heartbroken himself, trying to understand why Lana left.

Lois knew about all that with her dad, how he picked up his things and went on duty. All she wanted was to come home to parents who were around, instead of having to raise herself and Lucy after her mother died. But her father was never around, and although he told her that Some day you'll understand, Lois never did. So she turned to Clark and said the only thing she could.

"I know it sucks right now Clark, but I don't know what to say to make you feel better. All I know is one day... it'll suck less... and you'll move on."

That got him to smile, and suddenly, there was an understanding built between the two of them. They had only just met an hour earlier, yet Clark told her thanks and walked away.

They were formally introduced at Thanksgiving when Chloe insisted on going home for the holidays, and they played up a love/hate relationship which seemed to work when they saw each other. Then, all of a sudden, everything changed. Lois had been working on a story six months ago when she accidentally saw Clark stop a car from hitting a kid. She thought she had been imagining things, and by the time she ran up to the kid, she noticed the car damage and the uninjured boy, but Clark was nowhere to be seen.

Then a few weeks later, a similar incident happened, so Lois did a little more research on Chloe's articles and realized her cousin had been right all along. The events were real, the person was real... the Good Samaritan, the Blur, and if she was right, his name was Clark Kent.

Upon realizing this, she called Clark and tried to subtly get him to admit his secret. When he didn't, Lois told him that if he happened to go out at night to keep the peace, then she'd be supportive of him and protect his secret because she believed in what he was doing.

Eventually, Clark broke and told her the truth, even though he refused to tell her why, only that he was grateful for her support despite how little they knew each other. From there, their phone calls seemed to increase, and it led Lois to ask why he had been in Star City in the first place, resulting in an unexpected answer.

He told Lois that he was looking after her, making sure that she was okay.

Her.

Lois Lane.

The leader of his would-be demolition crew before Lana left.

Clark was looking out for her.

That was probably what allowed things to change between them, and things started to escalate, as Clark began to quietly show up at the Register every couple weeks since June. Currently, everything was just casual, but for some reason, Lois couldn't shake the nervous feeling this rela... this gave her.

Putting her anxiety aside as she entered the cafe, Lois went straight to the counter and pounded a ten dollar bill on it. "You see Chloe, you know what to do. Keep the change," she said before grabbing a seat at a table, completely oblivious to the other customers. The baristas here had gotten to know Chloe and Lois well over the past couple of years, and had their orders memorized.

She began to fiddle with her phone, trying to figure out how she had missed the scoop of the century, but there were no headlines on Oliver's return to California, something Lois figured would be impossible. However, the last thing Chloe would want right now is a barrage of press. Looking up to see Chloe enter the cafe, Lois could tell that her cousin was discouraged enough as it was.

"Thanks for meeting me," Chloe said as she sat down. "I just... really needed to get out of there."

"I get it. I'm always here for you, cuz."

Within a minute, a barista delivered Lois' and Chloe's order, so Chloe looked up and said thanks to both the barista and Lois before she chugged what seemed to be half her coffee.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Lois narrowed her eyes at the response as she lifted her own cup. "I have to point out the obvious here, don't I?"

"Lois..."

Dropping the cup before having a chance to sip her coffee, Lois said sternly, "Don't Lois me, cuz. You know exactly what I'm insinuating."

"Well... things change," Chloe replied, doing everything to avoid the gaze of her cousin.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're still in love with him and that you put your life on hold for him."

"I didn't... I compromised." Chloe pointed out. "Besides, when you care a lot about someone... sometimes it means taking a step back... letting them be happy."

"What about your happiness cuz? What's this girl have that you don't?"

Even though Chloe had only known the women for about ten minutes, she knew the answer to that question. "Tess graduated college when she was 17 with a degree in marine biology... not to mention the side degree in business. She's also drop dead gorgeous, confident, and more fitting to the lifestyle."

"Did you forget that you ranhis business for two years? And I think you adjusted quite well to the lifestyle without him."

"I did what I had to do... now I take a step back."

Lois shook her head. "You can't be serious. You didn't give up on him after two years... you can't give up now."

"It's been two years, Lois."

Lois was more than aware of that fact, she had said as much. "So?"

"So... so that's a long time," Chloe said as she finished her cup. "Thanks for the coffee, Lo," she added before walking out of the cafe before Lois had a chance to say anything further.

~0~

Walking around the penthouse almost felt surreal to Oliver. The furniture was mostly the same and the layout hadn't been touched, and although there were signs of Chloe and the odd memento of Evie's it looked like he hadn't left…like she was waiting for him to come back.

He had done a little research, seen the work Chloe had put into trying to bring him home and into his company. Oliver couldn't help but grin at the work she had done because she had kept the company strong and it was clear that she refused to deal with anyone trying to play her for a sucker.

The position had also matured her, as he noticed little changes in her appearance: straightened hair, pencil skirts and business suits, high heels. However, when she smiled in a photo, he could still see the girl he met three years ago. But she wasn't a girl anymore.

She started to take charge of her life, getting better articles in the Journal, and taking on ambitious projects, going out of her way to make sure that the company didn't suffer... even making the top 5 list of Star City Bachelorettes... a little fact that Oliver made a mental note of.

Taking a seat at his desk, he immediately had to lift the chair up, as it had been lowered for her. Putting his hands on the top, he then peered up and looked around. This was the life that he pushed on her, and while she had passed with flying colours, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt that he held her back from living her life.

Pushing the chair back, Oliver was about to pull the top drawer open when he heard the creaking of the main door. "Oliver?"

"In here," he responded as he got up from the chair and pushed it back in.

Chloe walked into the office, wearing an indescribable expression. "Hi."

"How are you?"

"Good... I'm good." She took a couple of steps inside and grinned. "I kept your company afloat. There were days I wanted to tear my hair out, but I think you'll find that the numbers are..."

"Chloe, the last thing I want to talk about is the company numbers."

"Of course." She scratched her head, trying to figure out what to say. "I...um... broke your coffee maker, but I got a better one. It's a little complicated, but once you get the hang of it..." Chloe's voice trailed as she noticed his eyebrow rising further. "Sorry."

"How areyou?" Oliver asked again.

"Honestly?" she answered hesitatingly. "I'm waiting to wake up tomorrow only to find out that this didn't happen. Two years... I had people looking for you, and nothing. I almost wanted to give up, but now that you're here, I... I'm just confused."

"You didn't have to wait that long... you could have moved on."

Chloe shrugged as she leaned against the desk, turning her head to face him. "I didn't want to."

Oliver reached out to touch her shoulder, but Chloe jumped at the movement, so he brought it back. Desperate to change the conversation, Oliver opened an internet browser and said, "I was catching myself up on your articles. John finally got you some decent material."

"Yeah... it took him long enough, but when you're a celebrity, you've got power."

"One in particular caught my eye." He turned his eyes towards the computer and smiled. "For someone who 'knew' I was alive, why did you write my obituary in the Journal?"

Chloe looked at the screen and saw the piece staring her back in the face. It took her a week to write that article, it took every piece of strength to finish and send it off. "They wanted someone who would get your story right." Chloe felt tears coming, so she shook her head and covered her mouth in her hand, trying to make them go away. "It killed me to write it."

"Hey," he said, standing up straight to pull her close, "I'm sorry."

Chloe's breath hitched as she felt his warm body against hers, and she slowly watched herself raise her hands. They had hugged so many times, but this time was different... it felt wrong. Closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind, she said softly, "I just can't believe I was right. You're here."

"I'm right here," Oliver said as his hand caressed her head. "And I'm not going anywhere."

August 25

Chloe woke up again, remembering that Oliver was back, further evidenced by the smell coming from the kitchen. After quickly getting changed, she took a deep breath, gathering her courage as she opened the door and began walking towards the kitchen.

She watched him from the corner, as he went from turning on the coffee machine, to the fridge to grab some eggs, and then back to the stove, where he paused for a moment. It was probably wrong to be watching him like this, but it had been a long time, and Chloe was half-expecting it to be nothing but a dream, so seeing him there just allowed her freeze in her spot and enjoy the moment.

"Sleep well?" he asked with his back still facing her.

Knowing that she had been caught, Chloe smiled as she entered the kitchen. "Yes, thank you."

"How do you like your eggs?"

He turned suddenly to throw an egg at her. Fortunately, Chloe was able to catch it and glared at him as he gave her an innocent grin. She walked back to the counter and put it down. "However you're making them."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Chloe?"

"Seriously... I'm not picky."

He pointed at her before turning back to the frying pan. "Okay... but you're not allowed to complain if you don't like it."

"Well... a reputable source told me that you could cook, so I shouldn't be complaining at all."

"Touché."

Walking over to the cupboard to pour herself a cup of coffee, she asked, "So... what's your coming-out party to the world going to be like?"

"I haven't thought about it. I actually thought about going out of town for a while, then dealing with everything."

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as her mug let her lips. "Are you really sure that's a great idea?"

"I talked to the board this morning and they agreed that I could use some time re-acclimatizing to my life. So I figured what better method than a trip with my best friend?"

She stopped drinking mid-sip and put the cup on the counter. "What?"

His smile faded as he said, "I've been gone a long time, during a tough time in your life, and I want to be here for you now."

"But you just got back," Chloe stated.

"So?"

"I figured you... and... I don't know."

"Just pick the place and we'll go. Preferably somewhere with little journalism, but that's optional."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What about Tess?"

"She has her own things to sort out." Scraping the last of the eggs onto the plate, he looked back up at her as he held the plate out. "I think she'll survive without me for a week."

Taking the plate from his hands, Chloe grinned back. "When do we leave?"

August 26

Stepping off the jet, Chloe took a moment to take in the familiar Kansas atmosphere. She hadn't been home since Christmas, and it felt strange being there with him now. With every step she took, she started to regret the decision to come. It wasn't that she didn't want to come home and that she didn't want him to see where she came from... she just didn't want him here under these circumstances.

"Chloe?"

She looked up and saw Oliver holding the car door open for her. He always would be the gentleman, but as she entered the car, she felt their fingers brush together, and the subsequent chill sent through her caused her head to bolt up. Seeing his eyes sold that he felt it too as he stared back at her.

A sharp gust of wind sent another chill through Chloe's body, causing her to grin at him before he closed the door. Once he got into the driver's seat, Chloe's gaze immediately went out the window. Oliver thought about saying something, but instead, he did up his seat belt, and turned the key.

~0~

After what felt like a very long drive, Chloe got out of the car, and walked up to the house alone. She silently opened the door and took a couple steps inside, only to turn around again so she could grab her bag out of the trunk, but Oliver was already climbing the porch steps with both bags in his hands.

She gave him a subtle smile as she let him enter the house. "Welcome to my home," she said before she bowed her head. "course I don't know how much longer it'll stay that way."

Dropping the bags near the staircase, Oliver asked, "Why not?"

Chloe wasn't a frivolous billionaire, in fact, she hardly indulged on things she didn't need, but she always considered the house to be her big purchase, and the idea that she wouldn't have the money to hold onto it was a real wake-up call. "I can't afford to keep it Ollie. Student debts will start to pile up again and I have to look for a place to live as it is."

"You can stay at the penthouse until you get back on your feet," he offered.

Chloe innocently glared up at Oliver. "The last thing you need is an awkward roommate slash third wheel."

Oliver swallowed loudly as she said those words as he remembered the pain in her voice when she spoke them before. Instead of directly addressing the comment, he looked around and said, "I'll buy the house from you then."

Eyes practically bulging from her head, Chloe calmed herself down and shook her head. "No, I can't..."

"I can't do a lot to say thanks for all you did."

Realizing that fighting with him was going to be pointless, Chloe nodded. "You didn't have to do anything, but thank you."

"No... thank you."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, followed by Clark's voice. "Chloe?"

Oliver sent her a weird look, but Chloe just smiled as she headed to the door. "Don't worry, I called them...I hope you don't mind." She opened the door and felt her smile widen. "Clark... Mrs. Kent, thanks for coming." Moving aside to let them in, Chloe started the introductions. "Oliver... you already know Clark, and this is his mother, Martha."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Martha said with a smile.

"The pleasure's all mine actually." Oliver stated. "I've been doing some reading on your campaign and I'd like to offer my support. You wouldn't happen to have a minute to talk business?"

Looking between Clark and Chloe, Martha replied, "If you two don't mind."

Grateful that the introductions went as well as they did, Chloe said, "No, not at all."

Oliver guided Martha outside, leaving Clark and Chloe alone in the house. When he was sure that they were out of earshot, he turned to Chloe and asked, "Does he know?"

Clark didn't have to say more for Chloe to know what he meant, so she just shook her head. "There's nothing to tell."

"Chloe..."

She quickly cut him off. "Oliver found a girlfriend on the island. It's quite the story actually."

There was an awkward pause that lingered in the air for the next couple of minutes before Clark broke it. "Are you going to be alright?"

When Clark asked that, all Chloe could hear was Lois' voice, asking the same question. "Why wouldn't I be? He's alive."

August 31

When she knew Oliver wasn't home, Chloe snuck into the penthouse to get the last of her things. Lois had agreed to let Chloe stay with her because it was too late for her to get into residence, not that she even wanted to risk residence without Evie, but there were still a couple things Chloe needed to take out before Oliver and Tess noticed.

After clearing her clothing from the bedroom, Chloe stopped at the doorway of the office, remembering how many hours she had spent there. Sometimes it was for work, sometimes for school, and sometimes it was just a reminder of how she got here, of whose office this really was.

Opening the top drawer of the desk, she sighed at what stared her back in the face.

"It feels like a lifetime ago now... doesn't it? Walking into this office for the first time?" a familiar voice spoke from the hallway.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had… work… or something."

Evie titled her head to the side as she entered the room. "Loiscalled me and told me Oliver's back. I thought I'd clear my stuff out and see how you were doing."

"Evie, I'm sorry I didn't call you."

She nodded, knowing the pain Chloe was currently feeling. "I know, I just didn't think I'd have to hear about everything through Lois."

"It just… caught me off-guard."

Evie put her hand inside the drawer and pulled out the letter. "I'm not saying you should tell him ditto, especially with Tess in the picture, but you should hold onto it."

Chloe shook her head as she took the letter out of Evie's hands and tossed it in the nearby waste bin. "Too much time has passed and we're likely different people now. At this point, I'm just grateful we can continue being friends."

As Chloe exited the room, Evie had bent down to pick the letter up and for the first time, actually read it. Chloe had told her essentially what it said, despite Evie insisting that it was none of her business, but she felt for her friend as she scanned the words.

If she wasn't so biased, Evie would know that Tess was good for Oliver. From what Evie had read, she was smart, strong, and most importantly, it was clear that the money had nothing to do with the reason she was with him. But she was, and it frustrated her that it had ended up like this.

Sure, Chloe had changed in the two years they had been apart, and it wouldn't surprise Evie if Oliver had too. But part of her wanted to take the letter with her, and in case the time was right again, give it back to Chloe to remind her how much she cared about Oliver and vice versa. However, Evie couldn't. It wasn't her place to do that.

Besides, she didn't have time to ensure Chloe's love life was solid when Evie was holding onto hers by a thread. Scott agreed to move with her to Anne Arbor, but he didn't agree to the constant travel schedule. She loved him, but she was starting to believe her good fortune was running out and it might be worth losing him in the long run.

Wiping a single tear from her eye, Evie took one last look around the penthouse before she locked it with her key.

"Evie, how are you?"

Of course, Evie thought. She had hoped to see Oliver at some point, but he had picked the worst possible moment to get off that elevator. Eliminating the final tear from her face, Evie decided to take a page out of Lois' book as she turned to face him. "I have a better question. What the hell are you doing?"

"What?"

He hadn't been expecting that reaction from her, but Evie was done with being subtle. "You know exactly what. Come on Oliver... you're gone for two years and you come back with a girlfriend? You had to have known Chloe would have read your letter."

"I didn't expect her to think I was still alive because everyone else had written me off." He bowed his head before continuing, "You can't blame for thinking she wouldn't wait for me."

"Well, she did. One date in two years, and it lasted a grand total of an hour. Not that I blame her, the guy was a jerk, but still."

"How was I supposed to know she felt the same?"

Evie squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. She had lost track how many times the two of them had asked a version of that question, but she was able to keep her composure as she answered, "All that time, you honestly couldn't see the way she looked at you?"

"You're one to talk."

She shook her head before glaring at him. "This isn't about me... and our situations can't even compare."

"Really? Explain the difference." Oliver wasn't buying that for a second, and Evie really couldn't blame him. No one really knew the difference except for her, and it wasn't exactly something she wanted to share right now.

"Look Oliver, I'm happy for you, but I hate what you're doing to Chloe right now." She tried to walk around him, but he grabbed her hand to stop her. "What?" she snapped.

Oliver's eyes refused to meet hers, but she could see the defeat in them nonetheless before he spoke, "It's not easy for me either."

Evie could sense that he was telling the truth, and while she felt a bit of guilt, she was near her breaking point and couldn't stop glaring at him. "Then make it right... for everyone."

"How?"

"Oliver, was the letter real? Or was that some messed up bullshit you pulled out of your ass?" Evie blurted as she pulled her arm free.

His eyes immediately widened because he had never heard Evie swear before. Truthfully, Evie was shocked by her own reaction, but it had to be asked. However, he had no answer for her. His mouth twitched a bit, he blinked a couple times, but no words came out.

"I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question for you. All I know is what you're doing to her right now, these little trips, the smiles, pretending nothing has changed while you're strolling around town with Tess, that's not the Oliver I remember."

She turned around to face him, but his back was still towards her. "What you're doing right now... is worse than what Clark did."

"You really don't..."

Not wanting to hear how Oliver would justify it, Evie interrupted him, "If you're not going to be honest with yourself, Tess and Chloe, then at least prevent Chloe's inferiority complex from re-emerging. She just got over it, which was impressive considering all of the media and company scrutiny she received. If I see or hear about it, in any form, I don't know how, but I'll personally send you back to that island."

Evie could hear Oliver sigh as he said, "You sure have come out of your shell."

She shrugged. "I don't have a lot of people I can rely on Oliver. Chloe is one the few. I take care of the people who matter to me, no matter what it takes."

Evie pressed the elevator button, hoping it would open right away, but no such luck. She waited for Oliver to enter the penthouse, but as she peered behind her, she noticed he hadn't moved. Feeling the tension between them made her grateful when the doors opened in front of her.

After walking in and pressing the button for the lobby, "For the record, I am glad you're back," were the last words spoken between them as the doors shut behind her, with her back still facing Oliver.

Author Note: Because my note was unclear in CG, Evie's 'story' is officially a go, and it would serve as the final 'year' of the trilogy. But don't worry, it isn't a spin-off or a side story, Chlollie is very much involved.