Author's Comment: Wow I've gotten so much love over the story! lol Thanks everyone. This is the alternative ending, which a few people said they'd like to see (and I probably would have posted anyway, I realized, because I hate letting things go to waste). Thanks again for all of the raves and helpful critiques.

BlueSuedeShoes

--Alternative Ending--

Two days later, Chloe was still in a bit of shock. She'd woken up in a hospital after passing out in her apartment, and she could only assume that the Green Arrow--that Oliver--had brought her there. The hate group had been dropped off on the doorstep of the police station as a courtesy package. She'd tried to explain things to the police and Lois and Clark and Oliver about receiving empty threats all the time, but not one of them had spared her the lecture on not calling the police immediately.

As if she hadn't learned her lesson the instant the tear gas went off.

Clark had been miserable, evidently punishing himself relentlessly for not picking up his phone. It had been on silent because he was on a date with Lois.

"Never again," he promised.

Lois had been irate, taking her worry out on hospital staff whom she called "incompetent" at every turn. She'd been less furious with Chloe than she had been worried.

"You imagine coming home to a message on your machine that your cousin was attacked in her home by a group of terrorists and that she's lying in a hospital bed!" she'd yelled at no one in particular.

Oliver had given his brief lecture on not calling the police, and then sat and kept her company in silence. He'd been the one to drive her home from the hospital, Chloe all the while wishing he would 'fess up.

Even the Green Arrow had come for a visit. Apparently locking her window was no use against him, regardless.

She had pretended to be asleep, not letting on that she'd woken up to the sound of the window latch clicking open. He'd done nothing, just stood in her room watching her for what felt like hours. She could practically feel the anxiety in the air. She wished everyone would stop worrying about her. She'd been fine. But more than anything she wished Oliver would come clean.

It had been a week, an entire week since Oliver had driven her home from the hospital, and he was still wrestling with himself. She was still not explaining what had happened that night. Why she hadn't mentioned the death threat, for starters, or why she'd given him such a strange look at the end of the night.

As a matter of fact, she wasn't saying much of anything. She seemed to be waiting on him to say something.

And somewhere in this process of internal battle, he suddenly found himself standing outside the door of her apartment, demanding to be let it. She'd calmly opened the door, an eyebrow raised, but without any expression of surprise whatsoever.

Once inside he began pacing back and forth, breathing heavily, his mind working at about a thousand miles an hour. Chloe said nothing, but sat down on a bar stool and watched him patiently.

He stopped finally, turning to look at her with determination etched on his face, but when he opened his mouth to speak nothing came out.

With a sound of frustration he began pacing again.

Chloe smiled.

He turned to her again, his mouth opening a second time.

"Yes, Ollie?" she asked, resting her chin on her hand and leaning against the counter.

He let out a long breath and Chloe pressed her lips together in entertainment.

"Would you like me to start?" she asked finally, deciding to cut him a break.

He stared at her a moment, then finally nodded in defeat.

"Okay. Assuming this is about your green leather fetish, then let me begin by saying that I already know."

He stared at her, dumbstruck.

The corner of her lip twitched.

"You...you...wait, what?" he stammered.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Why do men always think they're so clever? First Superman, now you." She rolled her eyes at the thought of Clark and his glasses.

He eyed her nervously. "How did you find out? And...shouldn't you be angry with me?"

Chloe stood. "I put a few puzzle pieces together, but I think the biggest clue was when you kissed me and it definitely was not our first kiss." He looked at her sheepishly. "And, yes, I should be angry with you. You are an imbecile for several reasons right now, but for whatever reason, I really just don't care."

"You don't?"

She shook her head, walking over to him and putting her arms around his neck. "Nope. I'm just glad you managed to make it over here, even if you were still too much of a pansy to actually articulate the correct statements."

"Hey! I'm not a pansy. I just...can't form coherent sentences when I get worked up," he smiled down at her. Then something occurred to him. "Wait, are you telling me you figured it out purely because I kissed you?"

She nodded. "Well, that tipped me off. After that I realized it fit pretty perfectly, and when the Green Arrow came barreling into my apartment through my window not long after I called you for help, that kind of confirmed it."

"And you're not angry with me?" he checked again, thinking it was too good to be true. "I didn't exactly handle this very well over all."

She grinned at him somewhat deviously. "Well," she said, pressing a little closer to him, "I'm not saying I wouldn't slap you if I could manage to get myself worked up, but I think you've more or less done your penance by saving my life the other night."

"You're incredible," was all he could say.

She tilted her head slightly, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I know."

His heart soared as she brought her lips to him and she wasn't kissing Oliver Queen or the Green Arrow. She was just kissing him.