Reaction Time (Part Two)

Now spoiling Persuasion.

I'm not going to go into further eps with this particular story, but I'm pretty sure I'll be writing a sequel to it when it's over. I'm setting a few things up in preparation for that.

PART 2

Chloe tucked her feet under her and rubbed her hand, watching Gilligan and the gang rejoice about leaving the island... again. It was mind numbing and she knew exactly how it was going to end, with them back at square one, which was comforting in a way. Not that it wouldn't be terribly depressing if it wasn't a sitcom. But it was a predictable tragedy, it had that over her life.

She felt guilty having a day off, with all that could be going on in the unseen corners of Metropolis. But she had to take one thing from that night with Stephen... or Alec. She needed a break once in a while. Maybe TV-Land and massaging BenGay into your hand wasn't everyone's ideal night. But at least she was heading off the heartbreak of carpal tunnel syndrome and preserving her sanity. As an added bonus, she was thinking clearer lately.

The more she stepped away from the computer, the clearer the big picture got. And it wasn't a pretty one. She was taking steps to paint that picture herself. One of them had her taking out a mortgage on The Watchtower, which was taking longer than she thought. And she didn't think she could afford to wait much longer. She needed to...

She shook herself and decided not to think of it anymore today. Of course, Gilligan wasn't helping. Its very predictability made it easier for her mind to wander. She needed a better distraction.

Her phone rang and the caller ID promised her a much better distraction.

She took a breath before she picked up, letting it ring a few times. She'd been waiting for this call. She certainly hadn't called him. Still, she didn't want to sound too eager.

"Hey," she said brightly after the fifth. "How's California?"

"Hot, even in February. We're in the desert. At a truck stop." Ollie made it sound like the deepest circle of hell. "But at least we got to see the big dinosaur from PeeWee's Big Adventure."

"Stop acting like that wasn't awesome," she could hear Bart say. "Who you talking to? Is it Clark? Tell him to come out. He never hangs with us. Tell him about the dinosaurs."

"It's not Clark," Ollie sighed. "Anyway, I'll probably be out here for another day until Bart finds this mysterious girlfriend of his."

"Dude, she's not my girlfriend," Bart groused in the background. "I'm telling you, this chick has hit most of the towns in five states. Now she's heading west. I gotta head her off. I just need another set of eyes. She got away from me in Alabama, but..."

"Yeah. Not this time, curses, drat her, and all that. Guy's obsessed."

"Hey, you didn't have to come."

"Really? Because from the way you whined at me, I thought I did."

"Forgive me for thinking anybody might want to roadtrip. You Metropolis types are so stuffy. Hey, if that's Chloe, ask her what she's wearing. I'm gonna get some more fries."

"Bart wants to know what you're wearing." His voice lowered. "Actually, I wouldn't mind knowing, either."

"Oh, you two," she said carefully. "Always... kidding around."

"One of us is. I'm dead serious," he said, his voice dropping just a little lower.

"Sure, you are." Her face heated up and she felt the ridiculous urge to grab a couch pillow and scream into it. "Anyway, what do you need?"

"To know what you're wearing."

"Oh, stop. Do you guys want to hack into security feeds or..."

"I didn't need anything," he said, sounding frustrated, which made her grin. "I was just... telling you what's up. And I was thinking... You got my note, right?"

"Yes, I did," she said, glaring at the muted TV.

"So... I should be back soon. But I have to go to Star City on Friday. What are you doing Thursday?"

What to say, what to say... "Me? Free as a bird," she decided, wanting to see how far he'd take this on the phone.

"Good. Because, the other night... I mean, you were talking and, if you're still in the mood for fun, I have a few ideas..."

"No. I'm on board with fun. I've been thinking about what you said." She lowered her voice. "I mean, with how life-or-death it gets around here, you do have to take your fun where you can get it." She took a long pause. "I think I know what you were getting at, Oliver."

"You do? Because... Well, you never called and I was starting to think..."

"Oh, no. I know exactly what we can do for... fun. Besides, I've decided saving the free world can wait once in a while, just for a few minutes."

He chuckled. "I'd like to think it'd be more than a few minutes, Chloe. I'm thinking... hours."

"That is... very tempting." She slapped her hand over her probably beet-red face, then quickly pulled it away as it smelled like a medicine cabinet. That was far enough, maybe too far. She had to take it down a notch. "I know! See if Bart wants to come."

There was silence, then... "Bart?"

"Sure. I think we need at least three people for what I have in mind," she said, choosing her words carefully, trying not to giggle. But, damn, that sounded naughty.

"I... I didn't think you... I mean, I haven't... Well, I tried it the other way, but..." Bengay or not, she slapped her hand over her mouth. "Chloe, I was thinking just us would be enough."

"Oh, come on," she said, sobering herself. "You can't have a poker night with just two people. What's fun about that?"

"Poker night?"

"Sure."

"You know, I..." She could almost hear the wheels in his head turning. "I don't think Bart can make it Thursday."

"Can't make what Thursday," she heard in the background. "I might want to make it Thursday? What's going on Thursday?"

"Hold on." His voice became muffled. She turned her phone up. "...some lecture about safety precautions on missions or something. You know how she gets. I figured you'd want to skip it."

She grinned, deciding to pretend she didn't hear any of that.

"Thanks, Dude," Bart whispered. "Yeah. I am so tied up on Friday," he said very loudly.

"Thursday," Ollie hissed.

"Thursday," Bart corrected, also loudly. "Tell her sorry."

"Yeah. Sorry about him. Anyway, I think maybe I need to be clearer. I just... I don't know if this is a thing to talk about with... people around. But... Okay. Remember the other night?"

"Yes..."

"I was thinking it should be like that. And maybe we should talk a little about... things to do."

"I think I'm getting you now."

"Are you? Because I can't be sure."

She knew he couldn't, poor guy. "I've been thinking along those lines. Wait a minute. Let me get John on this."

"John?"

"Sure. I bet the both of you could show me a few tricks."


"Uh..."

God, she was terrible. "I mean, when a girl finds out she gets skewered in a very possible post-apocalyptic future, it's like a wake up call. A little more self-defense training can't hurt."

"Well... yeah. That's important. But John's probably busy. But you know, I'll let you go and call him to see..."

"Why wait. I can get him on the line. Hold on..."

"Detective Jones."

"Hey, it's Chloe. I've got Ollie on the line and we were thinking... I could use some training in hand-to-hand. Can't use a computer for everything, right?"

"That's not a bad idea," John said thoughtfully.

"So what are you doing Thursday?"

"I'm off duty at six. And hello, Oliver."

"Hi," Ollie said... and miserably, she noted.

"Great!" Chloe forced a laugh. "I bet you two will have me in fighting shape in no time. And it doesn't have to be all business. It was so nice, making time to just hang out the other week."

"I'm all for it," John said quickly. "I really did like that Hibachi place."

"I think there's a Korean barbecue place on fifth. They let you cook your own meat," Chloe said, actually looking forward to it, in spite of her plan. "I think you'll like that."

"I just might. And it's on me this time. I insist. And while we're at it. we should go bowling."

"Bowling," Oliver echoed as if the words were actually "root canal."

"The guys on the force always talk about it. I play along, but I've never tried it. I'd like to get some practice in. It would be ideal for full assimilation and..." His voice muffled slightly. "You've got him... No. Put him in five. I need to go interrogate someone," he sighed, his voice clearer now. "I am, however, looking forward to Thursday. See you then."

The line beeped loudly as he hung up.

"Wonderful," Chloe said, not missing a beat. "Self-defense, self-barbecue, and bowling. And the JSA said our gang doesn't have any fun. We'll show them."

"Guess we will," Ollie answered dully.

Chloe tried to think what to say to that. Maybe she was being too difficult.

"I'd better go," he said before she could get up a response. "Lunch is pretty much done. Gotta help Bart ogle female truck-drivers."

"Dude, don't make it sound like that. I'm not ogling. I'm looking for her mom. I think she's in on it. See, the mom drives and she takes these heist-stops and..."

"I'll see you Thursday," he said, his voice sounding tired.

"Ollie?"

"Yeah?"

She still didn't have a response. "Nothing. Just... looking forward to hanging out."

"Yeah. It's good for... all of us. Later."

"Bye." She bit her lip as she hung up. This was tricky. She didn't want him to get so discouraged that he stopped trying, but she didn't want him to know she knew he was trying. A part of her was rooting for him to step up, win this game he didn't know he was playing, but the rest of her just didn't want to fall into his arms. It was a habit she wanted to break.

In high school, she fell into the arms of any guy that showed an interest and nearly paid with her life. With Jimmy... It still hurt to think of him as a human being. Being in the Watchtower, staring at the place that he died, thinking of the last words he said... It was like he was a saint now and she felt guilty for thinking of him as anything less than that. But he was a man who had been in her love life and, tragic end aside, he fit a pattern. It wasn't like he had to woo her. All he had to do was show interest. All any guy had ever had to do was show interest. Especially Clark. She was his in a heartbeat for so many years. She was breaking the habit now.

She was done being so easy. Not that she was a slut, by any means. But she was definitely too easy to get. Even is this wasn't true love forever, even if it was just for sex. It would do her good to wait. And it would definitely do Ollie's ego good, too.

The morning after their archery lesson, she'd arrived at The Watchtower to find a notepad file open on her computer.

Think about last night. You have to (and this was underlined) know what I meant. Gone to California with Bart. Call me. All this would have been fine. Maybe she would have called him, dropped the plan. But the last bit really got her. You know you want to.

Now maybe, all in all, she did want to... and a lot. But the fact that he just assumed she would got her back up. And thinking about it only firmed up her resolve now.

He could cool his heels just a little longer. It was good for him.

*****************

"That's really good," Chloe said, making a mark on her score card. "Almost too good."

John moved away from the lane in his orange and brown shoes and sat beside her. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Come on, John. That's two strikes in a row after your starting gutterballs." She leaned in to whisper. "Don't try to tell me there's no telekinesis involved."

He shrugged. "Maybe a little. But if you heard Detective Pearson bragging about his average..." He chuckled. "I wonder if I am becoming too human. It's rather petty to want to win."

She chuckled as well. "Not always."

"Thought you might say that."

She drew back slightly. "No idea what you mean," she said, throwing his words back at him.

He inclined his head toward Oliver, sitting at the bar behind them and nursing a beer. Ollie had opted out of actually bowling, claiming a sore leg. "I mean that I'm not the only one using the gifts at my disposal for my own ends," he clarified, pragmatic as always.

Chloe bent over the score card. "I... still have no idea what that means," she lied, thinking she'd picked the wrong bowling buddy. His powers extended beyond just the physical. How could she forget that?

"I don't like to listen in on... personal business. I try not to, but you two..." He shook his head. "I got a whisper of it when you called me, but in person... It's been extremely distracting."

Chloe concentrated harder on making her two look less like a seven. "I'm sorry if you... feel uncomfortable."

"Oh, I've mostly ignored it since I really did want to go bowling. But a word of advice..."

He put his hand on Chloe's and the tiny pencil rolled out of her hand and off the tiny table, meeting the floor with a tiny clatter. She glanced sideways at him.

"I don't pretend to know where this would lead, but I know where this is coming from. I think all humans need to be touched, but they keep trying to balance that with the need to be in control. It doesn't exactly even out," he said, staring at their projected score card.

"I... John, I really don't know what that means. Honest."

He turned to her. "It means that the other party has the same needs you do. The same desire for control. And sometimes one of you has to give it up."

"Well... Are you saying it has to be me? Why do I have to give it up? Why can't I be in control for once in my life? Maybe I deserve to finally be..."

"I'm not saying you have to give up anything. But I will say that one of you might give up altogether, which means neither of you get what you want." He sighed and stood. "I'm still rather mystified by human interactions altogether. None of you say what you really mean. Bowling, however, no longer elludes me. I think I'll play well with the others, should I ever have to. So thank you for that. I think I'll say my goodbyes."

She smiled just a little. "You mean you'll cheat well with the others."

"It's only a game," he said, moving toward Oliver.

"It's always a game," she whispered, glancing back at them as John took leave. Was he right? Was Oliver about to give up?

She'd really thought he'd try harder, but, looking back, he'd helped her through training tonight with nary an innapropriate grab. And there were times, trapped between his arms and a compound bow, even with John around, that she wished he would. During dinner, there'd been a moment where he leaned in so close she could feel the stubble on his cheek, but he was only checking on his center cut beef. To be honest, she was having such a nice time hanging out that it hardly occured to her to be disappointed before now.

Maybe she'd been playing her cards way too close. She watched as John walked out the door and Ollie took a long pull from his bottle. It was nearly empty. She found herself rushing forward before he finished it off. If he finished it off, then he'd leave and she really didn't want him to.

"Hey!" She grabbed the bottle out of his hand before he could take another sip. "Can I just have this?" She gulped it down quickly, then turned to the bartender, holding it up. "Can I get two of these on me?" She turned back to Ollie. "Sprry about that. I was just so parched. But I got us more so..." So now you can't leave.

"Kind of wish you hadn't. I was thinking of going. I don't know, this..."

"Oh, come on. It's bowling night." She slammed the empty bottle down. "It could be one of our things. I know John bailed, but we could still..."

"Yeah. Not a bowler. Not my thing." He shrugged and started peeling the label from the bottle. The busty woman lost her... bust. "I wanted to show solidarity and all, but... I just don't think I'm in the mood."

She took the stool to his left. "Why not?" Maybe there was something more going on than John told her.

"It's nothing. I'm over it. It's fine. Don't even..."

"Ollie..." She put her hand on his knee. "You can tell me anything."

He looked down at her hand, then at her. "Not this."

"Especially this."

"It's really... nothing I want to bother anyone with. It's stupid." His eyes stayed glued to hers. "Your eyes are green," he said suddenly.

"They always were." She stared back at his. They were brown. Not brown like mud, but brown like chocolate.

"I like green."

She smiled at that. "Really? I'd never know."

He chuckled and looked away as the bartender set two new bottles down. "You know what? Don't worry about it. There was this girl, then there wasn't. It's really no big deal."

She stiffened suddenly, thinking about Lois. Maybe John read it wrong. Maybe this wasn't about her at all. "This girl..."

"I shouldn't say it like that. It was more this... possibility of a girl. We never even kissed, so..."

She grabbed her bottle as he slid it over, taking a long gulp, then another. Not Lois, then.

"It's nothing. I mean... I know I keep saying that, but it's fine. She just... I don't know. She didn't see me that way and that's all there was to it and I'm fine."

She swallowed, then slammed it down. "Well, that's just crazy. I mean... She must be crazy." Or definitely crazy. Or at least a little tipsy by now, that she. Despite the scotch she'd chugged in The Watchtower, Chloe was a bit of a lightweight. Two glasses of red with dinner and a beer here and she was feeling it. She wasn't sure if it was bravery or booze, but she said... "Who wouldn't want to kiss you?"

He stilled, the bottle halfway to his mouth and turned to her. "Some people."

"Crazy people," she insisted, still brave... or crazy. She really couldn't tell which.

"Do you..." Ollie turned back to his beer, robbing the poor label maiden of her breasts again. "Do you consider yourself crazy?"

"Of course I don..."

"Okay." He stood and grabbed her by the arm, moving away from the bar.

"I need to pay for..."

"Don't worry about it." He dug in his pocket, pulled out a bill, and slapped it on the bar.

"But I should..."

"Keep the change," he called out.

Chloe glanced back at the bar as Ollie kept moving. The bartender moved back to their place, staring at them with some alarm until he looked at the bill, his eyes widening. "Come back any..."

Chloe didn't hear the rest of it. Oliver was pulling her behind him, past the shoe rental, then the bathrooms, then the arcade... where he stopped. "How do you get out of here?"

"It's back that way. But our shoes..."

He whirled on her. "F*ck our shoes."

She giggled. Not just at the words, but the fact that they were accompanied by Pacman's sweet melody.

He laughed as well, looking around the room. "And you are crazy. C'mere."

She glanced behind her at a game featuring a gorilla terrorizing a scyscraper. Rampage? Even she remembered that game. When was the last time this arcade had a new...

She gasped as he grasped her hips and her back met a pinball machine in the darkened room, lit only when the sample games repeated. It was well past the time when anyone would put in a token. It was only them here and....

His fingers brushed her chin. "Look at me."

She did. Flashing games, rather than taking away from them, only enhanced those chocolatey eyes. They reflected rampaging gorillas, fruit-gobbling circles with eyes... things that should seem silly, but weren't. Not in those eyes. Not when they were coming closer... and closing.

Jesus! This was dead serious.

TBC

Okay. Four parts. Not three. This was getting long.

And I am fully aware that I am a tease. I bathe in it!

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