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the AO3 link: OlicityWritersRoom
Thank you for reading through our little project. Episode 1 went up Monday! We’re already getting some great responses! Hope you had a chance to read it! If not, you’ll find it linked below as well as a full-posting and link for the latest episode up at AO3.
Read Episode 1: Eye of the Hurricane by bowsmoakandarrow
Episode 2: Take Me Out to the Ballgame by OlicitySmoaky
(Note: The Queen Mansion remains in this version. What happened to it in 2.5 is not kept as canon. Enjoy!)
As the day fades into twilight, Oliver sits at his desk thumbing the edges of the throwing star. This has to be a copycat. He promises himself to take it to Felicity to be analyzed later. He’s been in protective mode about so much lately but keeping things from her made his gut churn and twist like nothing else. As Oliver folds the throwing star back in the small black cloth he’s keeping it in, his eyes catch the latest photo on his desk. It’s of him and William outside of the Star City Planetarium with Thea. Next to it is a pair of Star City Rocket tickets. The season is almost over, and he promised William he’d take him to a game. Oliver swallows. His family can’t be threatened again.
Pinching his lips together to press down his worry, Oliver pulls open his desk drawer, slides the throwing star back inside, then pulls out of his phone. The corners of his mouth tick up as he scrolls through more photos of his summer with his son until he stops at one of him chatting with Felicity Thea took at the Bunker. Thea is very much on board with them getting back together, but Oliver is trying to keep it somewhat light right now. Well, if you can call somewhat light looking into reacquiring the Queen Estate for a possible future home from Palmer Tech—who’d recently bought the property—in a brief moment of insanity. Of course, he decided against the idea almost as soon as he’d had it. He’s determined to look forward not back. Also, Felicity seems to be in a better space with her anxiety post-Island. He now knows it has everything to do with wanting to do the right thing by William and not wanting to push too fast too soon. The island ripped them all up on the inside and being apart has really taken its toll. But he’s so incredibly grateful that she’s stopped pushing him away now that the fall is upon them. He reminds himself again of their new mantra, one step at a time. He lets out a shaky breath. If it was only that easy.
A knock sounds on the door. “Oliver?”
“Come in, Quentin,” says Oliver as he pockets his phone and shifts his eyes to the door.
Quentin strides in, head in a file. “I, uh, wanted to—” He stops in his tracks as soon as he looks up and frowns. “Everything okay there, Oliver?”
Oliver clears his throat. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You’ve got a frown deeper than the Grand Canyon.”
“Yeah.” Oliver presses his index finger into one eyelid and thumb into the other and blows out a sigh.
“Is it William or Felicity?” When Oliver does not reply, “Maybe both?”
Oliver drops his hand from his eyes and presses two fingers to his temple. “I should work on being less transparent.”
Quentin sinks into the comfortable guest chair across from Oliver’s desk. “Let’s see. It’s early September, so William’s starting school? And you’re starting to feel overwhelmed?”
Oliver leans forward on his arms, folding his fingers, resisting the temptation to drop his chin on his hands and really sulk. “He started yesterday. Thea took him. I don’t know if he hates the school or if he still hates me…pretty sure the latter is fully the case.”
“Oliver, the kid just lost his mother. And he’s what? 12? If he doesn’t say he hates you every once in a while, you’re doin’ something wrong. Take him to a ballgame. Do something fun with him.”
“Yeah.” He had tried all that, but William wasn’t very responsive to his efforts. He knew Quentin meant well, but what does he really know about dealing with a kid who’s a virtual stranger?
“And don’t forget. Felicity’s right there with you. Even if you two are—what exactly is it you guys are waiting for again?” Quentin lifts his thick eyebrows.
That’s a loaded question – loaded and explosive and all sorts of things that wouldn’t let the clawing need for the woman he loves rest. “Well, William—”
“Is adjusting to his new life…and all that comes with it,” Quentin supplies. “That includes Felicity, right?”
“Yes. And they get along. She’s been going through some stuff, and–” Oliver breaks off, letting a tiny smile tug his lips. He clears his throat. “I just… It’s just… It’s not the right time.”
“More than life itself,” Oliver fills in without hesitation. He lets the resolve of the statement wash over him, comfort him. He knows he loves Felicity more than he’s ever loved anyone. It’s not something he needs reassurance of, but bringing the notion to the surface, verbalizing it from time to time, provides a balm he needs to press forward on the days he continues to live without her. The priority right now has to be William. They both know that. And it isn’t as if Oliver regrets the gift that is his son. It’s just a different part of him that he has just switched on, and he’s so afraid he’s fucking up. He’s trying to do the right thing. But maybe having Felicity with only a toe in William’s life is the wrong thing for all parties involved. Oliver lets out a frustrated breath.
Quentin studies the young mayor for a beat before advising, “Just … try not to torture yourself too much. Being a father is hard, but you can’t lose yourself to it. You have to find balance. And you have to let them make their own mistakes.”
“I know. Believe me, son. I know.”
Oliver nods thoughtfully, letting Quentin’s words sink in. The chiming of the Star City Clock in the city center tells the world it’s noon. This jars Oliver from his reverie momentarily and prompts him to ask his deputy mayor, “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Right…” Quentin slides the folder in his hand across Oliver’s desk. Oliver flips the fat document open.
About ten minutes into Quentin going over the budget for park beautification, Oliver’s eyes glaze as his mind shifts to the throwing star. He can’t let anyone hurt his family ever again. So, what does that mean? Keeping secrets again? He doesn’t want to do that. But the stakes are high, and he has more to lose now than ever before. He needs to be a father, not only to Star City, but to a twelve-year-old boy who’s lost his mother. His own flesh and blood. He’s got to keep them safe. An unease gnaws at his gut, causing him to push his chair back and rise to his feet. “Quentin, I have to get to the bunker. I need to talk to Felicity.”
Oliver reaches in his drawer and pulls out the black-cloth-covered throwing star. He pockets it without explaining further. “I’ll let you know when I find out.” He strides out of his office, leaving Quentin with weary, worried eyes.
Thea and Felicity sit at an adorable outdoor café in downtown Star City with two enormous salads and a pair of milkshakes – Felicity’s is green mingled with little bits of chocolate, while Thea’s is cream-colored looped with a golden syrupy swirl. “Caramel and cinnamon inside vanilla ice cream should be against the law.”
“I’m a simple girl. Mint chip for me forever and always,” quips Felicity.
Thea rolls her eyes, a fond smile on her lips. “Simple is the exact opposite of Felicity Smoak,” she says, leaning forward for a sip of her delicious-looking shake. Her cane sits propped against the table, her busted left leg still in a cast. Her healing is going well, but Oliver still hovers.
“Yeah,” Felicity replies, looking down into her green bit of delight, dipping her straw in and out. She bounces her knee a bit, trying to relieve her nerves. “I’m just glad we haven’t heard from our thug-of-the-hour Mr. Dragon in the last couple weeks.” She presses her lips together then releases them to sip her drink.
Thea regards her for a moment before asking, “Did I hit a nerve?” She pushes shake aside for some water.
Felicity finishes her swig. “No. No.” She waves her hand in an effort to cover her twisting nerves. Things with Oliver and William have been tying her in knots. After spending time with William, she already loves them both so much, but she’s not sure any of it is going anywhere. And her life—her actual career, her purpose—she feels like she’s stuck in a thickening limbo she can’t escape. But she’ll figure it out. For now, she’s just going to enjoy lunch and try to stay out of her head. “So, to what do I owe this impromptu tete-a-tete?” she asks Thea in an attempt to get her mind off of herself.
Thea shrugs. “Can’t a girl hang out with her former sister-in-law-to-be without a motive?”
Felicity quirks an eyebrow. She’s usually the Queen of Awkward Moments. But right now, Thea seems poised to steal her crown.
Thea takes one bite then another of her salad. Felicity just watches her, waiting for a response. “All right, my motive is kinda corny, but really, really important.”
“Okay,” Felicity says, taking a bite of her own salad. God, why did she wait so long to do this? It’s delicious. What is the name of this place again?
Felicity stuffs another clump of lettuce, feta, berries, and chicken into her mouth. “Not sure I follow.” Of course, she does.
Thea snorts. “Of course, you do.”
“We’re taking things slow,” Felicity replies finally. She knows how pathetic that answer sounds, but what else could she say?
“Yeah…that.” It doesn’t matter how fast she wants to take all of this right now, a kid is involved. It’s a kid she doesn’t know that well but feels affection for. He’s Oliver son. He’s alone in the world. He’s brilliant and shy and vulnerable. She wants to protect him, but she’s also not sure at all if she’s ready to be a mother. Not that she would be his mother. His mother just died, and Felicity’s not even 30. And William is almost taller than she is. But what does any of this matter? She and Oliver haven’t even talked about this—not really. They’ve made up guidelines and said they’d wait, but that’s about it. She has no idea what he’s actually thinking. She’s pretty damn good at reading him, but she’d like to actually have a moment or two alone without guilt or fear—two emotions she feels constantly pulsing from her mayor-vigilante ex-fiancé.
“He loves you, Felicity,” says Thea, pulling Felicity from her mental spiral.
Felicity can’t fight the blush that burns her cheeks and swiftly changes the subject. “What about you? Keeping busy outside of City Hall?”
Thea lights up with a serious glow. “Actually, I have a bit of a pet project.”
At the bunker, his suit shed for a black t-shirt and workout pants, Oliver sits in front of Felicity’s monitors, watching for anything out of the ordinary. Not much is going on that the SCPD can’t handle. He gets up after a while and moves over to the mats to work out. He starts with the salmon ladder then moves over to his boxing dummy.
“Cut out of work early today?” John Diggle’s voice filters into the room as the elevator doors swoosh closed behind him and he strides further into the mouth of the bunker.
Oliver looks up but doesn’t stop his pummeling of the training dummy. “Lunch break. You seen Felicity?”
John folds his massive arms across his chest. “She’s at lunch with Thea.”
This does stop Oliver. “Oh.” Are they talking about him? Is Felicity upset about something he’s done and needs to pick Thea’s brain about it? Felicity knows him better than anyone, but still sisterly insight could be what she’s going for. Then again, Felicity and Thea are friends, aren’t they? That’s what he’s always wanted for them, anyway. Why should this worry him? It shouldn’t. It’s fine. Great, in fact.
John goes on speaking, “Glad you two are getting things somewhat back to normal. She’s stopped being so distant with you, right?”
“Hmm? Yeah. I mean, we’ve been talking to each other on phone every couple of nights to check in. So, yeah.” Oliver moves away from the dummy to a shelf where he finds a towel to throw over his shoulder and a bottle of water to swig. In seconds, he gulps every drop and wipes his mouth.
Oliver towels himself off and puts the empty water bottle down on top of the shelf. He strides back to the computers where he left the black folded cloth at Felicity’s workstation. He sinks into her chair, hoping in the most irrational way possible that sitting in it would will her into their presence.
John follows him, leaning against the railing surrounding the circular platform housing the bulk of Felicity’s electronic babies.
Oliver picks up the black cloth and opens it. “Yeah, I … Someone sent this to me the other day.”
John’s eyes go wide before narrowing. “A copycat. Obviously.”
“Yeah. Maybe just a prank.” Oliver highly doubted he was that lucky. Whoever did this was sending a message and it wasn’t for a walk on the beach. Most likely he wasn’t going to solve this as either Oliver or as the Mayor of his precious city.
The monitors light up, a blinking dot firing off and on somewhere close to the Glades. “Something’s up,” Oliver realizes, swiveling Felicity’s chair around and zeroing in on a white blinking light.
“It’s a charity of sorts…” Thea goes on.
“Yeah, my dad – the Queen dad – started one of his earliest benevolent causes.”
Felicity could tell Thea was holding back a snort of derision. She respected Robert Queen’s legacy no matter how much dirt surrounded it.
Thea brightened further as she burrowed through the details. “He started it years before Ollie was born. It’s a home for abandoned kids. Thankfully, the city kept it going and there was a sizable trust set up in conjunction with a foundation that left it relatively untouched by our financial crisis – a few years ago.” Thea clears her throat. “Some anonymous donor just dropped a ton of cash into it and brought it back on my radar.”
“Wow. That’s kinda perfect,” Felicity says.
“Yeah,” Thea continues, “so they’ve recently added on a really small part that helps women struggling in the community who have kids to raise. I was thinking of extending that portion with the donation to assist women who need help taking care of their families. So, we’re helping the moms, too. Dads can also get help, but I just thought I’d start with this specific focus. What do you think?”
“It sounds — Oh, my God.” Felicity’s eye catches an alert on her phone, which has been beside her plate the entire time. “What’s the name of the center again?”
“Hope House.” Thea’s eyes narrow. “Why?”
Felicity tugs the corner of her mouth between her teeth. God, why do people have to be so shitty?
Oliver, as mayor— and Diggle, as head of his security—arrive in front of a large Victorian House just outside of the Glades. Its old charm once stuck out in the middle of the urban gunk. Now, its charred edifice fits right in. A soot-covered sign in the front reads: Hope House.
Oliver watches a woman of about forty with glistening tears speaking to Dinah, “He just took him. Kidnapped him from under our noses. I don’t know why. He doesn’t have parents to threaten for ransom. He’s a good boy. Just eight-years-old.”
Oliver’s heart clutches at that. Younger than William. He knows the police should be the ones to handle this, but somehow this seems personal.
“We’ll get you and the other Hope House boys to a safe place,” Oliver says, stepping between the two women. Dinah folds her arms and quirks an eyebrow.
The woman frowns. “There are twelve beds here. How could you possibly….”
“We’ll find you a place tonight,” Oliver assured her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Ms…?”
“Mrs. Bailey. I’m a widow, and ever since my husband died, this place, these boys, have been everything to me.” She blinks back a fresh set of tears. “Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Please. Just find him,” she finishes with a plea in her eyes.
Oliver lends her a calming smile.
The woman presses her lips together as if to steel her resolve. “I’ll go tell my crew we’ll have some place to sleep tonight,” she informs them before walking away.
“Any suspects?” Oliver asks Dinah; he can sense her worry through her calm exterior.
Dinah folds her arms across her chest and puffs out a tight breath. “A white male, mid-30s, about six feet tall with a scar on his neck. We have a few witnesses. We’ll get this guy. He hasn’t had long to run.”
“Someone said they saw a green sedan, about fifteen-years-old, tearing up the street right after the fire started.”
Oliver nods as he soaks in the information. No way he’s sitting this one out. He’ll be hitting the streets as soon as it’s dark with the team.
“You saw this on the monitors?” Dinah asks.
“Yeah. I was at the bunker. Needed to, uh, talk to Felicity,” he finishes quickly.
Dinah’s not usually one to pry and only says, “Speaking of… Can you get her in on this?”
Before Oliver can answer, a photo with a caption of intel materializes on Dinah’s phone. “Our girl’s already ahead of us. The car’s registered to a guy named Petersen Richards.”
“Felicity already? Great.” God, he loved her.
“Never underestimate the wonder women in your life.”
Oliver chuckles. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Dinah gives him a pointed look before walking off.
A twelve-year-old boy in old jeans and a Star City Rockets t-shirt runs down the puddle-laden alley behind Hope House. He trips over a broken board in his path and twists his leg, causing him to stumble.
“Ow! Shit!” He stops to rub his leg and reorient himself. He can stand. He’s fine. Excellent! Before he can take off again, a familiar voice stops him.
“Cody?” A woman with long dark hair wearing a discount pantsuit appears from the back of the charred building. Heels clacking on the asphalt, she nears the now frozen-in-place wide-eyed preteen.
Cody opens and closes his mouth a few times before spitting out, “Mom? How did you find me?”
“Mother-radar,” replies the woman, arms folded, eyebrows high and expectant. Save the pantsuit, she looks too young to be his mom.
“Since when?” asks the boy.
“What are you doing back here? Did you see who started the fire?” his mother asks.
“No, I was trying to see if Dixon was trapped inside.”
On cue, a cat meows from the top of a nearby wall. “Dixon!” The tabby cat scurries away. Like most cats, Dixon pops in and out as he pleases. “At least he’s alive, right?”
“Why aren’t you in school, Cody?” his mother asks, weariness clear in her voice.
“We had a half day?” explains the boy. His mother is clearly not buying it. He waits for her to rain terror on him, but instead she says—
“What about the kids who live here? Where are they going to go?” Cody could care less really. But he has to act the innocent to keep his mom relaxed. He can’t afford to get grounded or anything. He promised that weird dude he’d help him out tomorrow.
“The mayor’s taking care of that,” his mother says.
Cody frowns. He hates rich guys like that. “Mayor Queen? That pretty boy? What does he care about this place?”
“You need to learn to respect your elders,” his mother warns, leading him down the alley toward the street.
Without her seeing, he rolls his eyes and mutters, “Yeah, whatever.” What the heck does Oliver Queen care about people in the Glades? He doesn’t get it. It’s all about survival of the fittest here. No one really helps them. Just a few tokens here and there so they can get votes or trick people into buying up their property and turning it into something they can profit from. That’s what his uncle told him before he died. And he was right. That’s all the stupid mayor cares about. Well, Cody isn’t going to sit around waiting for handouts from anyone. He’s going to take care of himself – and maybe his mom, but that’s it. He trails after his overworked mother down the damp alley, pushing down the twinge of guilt he feels for taking that money to set the fire. He did it for his family.
Felicity and Curtis sit on opposite sides of the computer hub at the bunker with matching creases in their brows. Both are glad to have each other as tech buddies. Though it sometimes gets lonely being the only ones. The others don’t understand how stressful it can be when things get down to the wire.
“It’s past eight,” says Curtis, eyes darting over the screen in front of him, “and they still haven’t found the kid.”
Felicity’s fingers fly over the keyboard at her station. “I’m working on it. Just give me some time.” Where the fuck is this guy? She’s pulled every bit of surveillance footage and hasn’t seen anything from him since he left his car. This is a kid in the system. Who is going through so much trouble to keep him out of sight? She has zero answers, and she hates having zero answers.
“Felicity?” Oliver voice filters in over the comms. He, Diggle and Rene are suited up and on the prowl. “We checked out the warehouses by the docks where the car was abandoned but no sign of the boy or the guy.”
“Petersen Richards,” Felicity supplies. “The police haven’t had any luck either, but I have another lead. I’ll check in with you soon.”
It’s an inky damp night as Green Arrow, Spartan, and Wild Dog move through the docks nearest the Glades, eyes peeled, heads on a swivel. “We’re gonna find this bastard, right?” asks Rene.
Black Canary jumps from the top of crate above them and joins their march. “We better. Even if we have to stay out all night. Just glad to be in my night gear, so I can truly give this kidnapper dirtbag what he deserves.”
Green Arrow strides ahead of them with Diggle by his side. Whoever took this kid is no rookie. He has no doubt getting the boy back is not going to be easy. Anyone who Felicity has a hard time tracking is not a person they should underestimate. “Stay sharp.”
Wild Dog hangs back a little while still walking, still watching, and hits his comm. “Curtis, can you make sure Zoe’s okay?”
“Having a slightly busted knee gets you baby-sitting duty, huh?” quips Curtis from the other end of the line. “I’m on it. Don’t worry.”
Wild Dog strides up and falls in line next to Oliver, while Spartan moves back next to Dinah.
“We’re gonna take the perimeter,” says Spartan.
“Copy.” Green Arrow continues forward, eyes on alert as he moves down the path in front of him.
Wild Dog keeps up. “Hoss, I don’t know if I thanked you, but…thank you.”
“This isn’t really the time,” Green Arrow grunts.
Wild Dog continues, his lack of following orders itching Oliver. “For Zoe… and me. The scholarship.”
“She got herself into the school. She’s a smart kid.”
“Keeps her safer, so I’m all for that. Thanks. Being a single dad is tough.”
“Tell me about it,” says Green Arrow. He understands his teammate’s concern but does not want to focus on child-rearing right now. The crack of fireworks filling the sky in the distance draws his eyes up. The latest Star City Rockets game, coming to a close. Of course, his son enters his mind in a rush he can’t stop. “I was gonna take William to a game, but I don’t think he wants to—"
Overwatch’s voice interrupts him over the comms, “Found ‘em! But they’re nowhere near the docks. They’re at a location owned by Palmer Tech – 1407 Graymalkin Lane.”
“But that’s…” Oliver starts. Why would they go there? What the hell?
Overwatch’s voice basically tells him analyze it later, get over there now. She’s his compass after all. “We’re on our way.”
Spartan and Black Canary dash around a corner seconds later as Green Arrow and Wild Dog reach the fence leading out of the docks. Spartan speaks first, “The kidnapper has the kid at—”
“My old family estate.” Damn it. He chose to stay away from it for a reason, a reason more than moving on to a brighter future. But with a child’s life at stake, he has no choice. The ghosts of his past take a backseat to when it comes to defending the innocent people in Star City.
Not long after, Team Arrow arrives at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, the site of the former Queen estate. They pull their van into a dark corner of the road and pile out. Oliver tries like hell to push away the feeling that this has something to do with him, that it could be connected to the throwing star he found. But it has to just be a coincidence. Oliver doesn’t know this boy, but the place that had been burned down had been connected to his family years ago. They easily slip over the sidewall and onto the dark, overgrowing lawn leading up to the estate. He hadn’t kept track of who owned it. He hadn’t wanted to face it until Felicity let it slip that Palmer Tech had acquired the estate recently, for whatever reason he did not know. Then about a month later, he looked into trying to get it back – his dreams of the future getting the better of him. But he did not want to curse his future with his past.
“Felicity said they were on the second floor, south wing,” Green Arrow tells his team as they near the massive house.
“Right,” says John. “Best bet is to go through the kitchen entrance… I’m assuming you know a way in, Oliver.”
“I disarmed the security system, so you should be good to go,” Felicity informs them over the comms.
Oliver shows the team a secret entrance through the back, and they scale through the grounds as swiftly and covertly as possible. With a child in danger, there is no room for error. It was hard enough finding these punks. If they got away, a second time might not be in the cards.
“Why do you think they picked this place?” Dinah asks as they scale the portion of the house leading to the kitchen.
“Can we discuss details later?” Oliver grouses.
“Hoss is right. We got a kid to save.”
Spartan moves to the other side of the door that leads to the kitchen at the back of the house. There is an engraved pewter symbol etched into a wooden edifice. It’s a Q with a D slabbed through the middle. Queen-Dearden. A symbol of his childhood—a talisman of the past. Oliver’s breathing triples. He steals himself. He has to focus. He has a job to do. He stuffs his sentiment into a corner of his chest he may or may not revisit, then jimmies the lock of the back kitchen door as if it was an old door on a dilapidated trailer. They’re in.
They move on soft feet through the main corridor of the house, then weave up the stairs. Everything is dark, damp, and in disrepair. The state of his past clamps onto Oliver’s heart, but he pushes it down and keeps up the steps—laser-focused on the mission. This has everything to do with him, he knows it. But he can’t let that get in the way of saving the kid. A surge of empathetic protectiveness whips through him as he recalls the way he feels when William is in danger. He pounds up the steps.
They find the assailant in what used to be the library in the center of the south wing. The Green Arrow enters the room first and sees the Hope House child bound to a chair. “Step away from the boy.” Spartan and the others slip in behind him, weapons at the ready.
The man holding him hostage is caught off guard by their presence. This is clearly not what he is trained or prepared to face, whomever the spindly-looking clown is. “Don’t hurt me. I was just following orders.”
The man drops a gaseous toxin onto the ground. It spreads through the room. Oliver shoots an arrow through the cloud of smoke toward his leg, but the man is already sliding out of the window.
“Take care of the boy. I’ve got this guy,” Oliver growls, running toward the window. He slips outside and sees the man already on the flat of the lawn. He’s a fast little fucker. Oliver shimmies down the side of the house and takes off after him. The guy dodges Oliver’s pursuing arrows like a damn acrobat. Thwickt! Thwickt! Thwickt! Oliver keeps firing until, “ahh!” He gets him right in the back of his leg.
The next morning, the news fires off the enormous flat screen in the middle of Oliver’s living room. William, dressed for school, stands in front of it. The report flashes images of the police surrounding the Queen mansion and a young boy being ushered to safety. William sighs then moves over to the sofa. He plops down in front of a stack of baseball cards. He picks them up and shuffles through them as if waiting for someone to come and tell him it’s time to get to school. Speak of the devil, the front door opens.
“Hey, buddy,” a familiar voice fills the room.
William looks up from his cards. “Hi, Aunt Thea.”
Thea quirks an eyebrow as she hobbles further into the room to stand in front of her nephew. “Baseball fan?”
William shrugs. “Sometimes. I like superhero stuff more, but…Dad gave these to me.” William knows his dad is trying, but sometimes it’s too much. He does like baseball a little, though. He’s just so tired. But he has to admit that he really felt lucky to not have to be all alone after he lost his mother. He’s really starting to love his new family, but it’s just too much for him to say that out loud right now.
His Aunt Thea smiles a bit, her expression turning a wistful. “His favorite team was…”
“Let me guess, the Starling City Rockets?” Thea ruffles his hair. “Hey!”
“Sorry. But yes, good guess. I’m surprised he hasn’t taken you to a game yet. He hates that the name changed to the Star City Rockets.”
“But he’s mayor,” says William, standing up and pushing the cards away. “He could change the city name back, right?”
“You know, you have a point.”
William frowns and worries his bottom lip.
Thea shuts off the television, then turns to William. “What’s wrong?”
William gestures to the now blank TV screen. “That kid…”
“They found him,” Thea assures him.
“You mean Dad found him,” William mutters.
“Yeah. Uh, he wanted me to come by, ride with you to school. See if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Raisa’s here.” William throws his thumb over his shoulder. He can feel the tension in the air. He knows Thea wishes he’d just be a regular kid and magically adjust, but it’s not that easy. “She’s just cleaning up after breakfast.”
“It’s only your second day,” says Thea. “He wanted to take you, but—”
“He had a kid to save,” William clips, then blurts out, “Is this his fault, too?” William resists the urge to slap his hand over his mouth. He shouldn’t have said that, but he wants to know. Was it his fault?
“No. Why would you think that?”
“The guy took him to your old house for one, and… I don’t know. Who was he? The kid?”
“I don’t know. A boy from a local youth center,” Thea explains. “Look, kiddo. I know it looks bad, but the truth is, I have no idea why the kidnapper used our old place as a hideout.”
“But there has to be a reason.”
He shakes his head, a tightness growing in his chest. “Why did he take that kid? His parents don’t have money for ransom, do they? Or are they vigilantes like Dad?”
“He doesn’t have parents. Some people are just sick.”
“Oh.” William picks up his Flash backpack and heads toward the door. He guesses he won’t get any answers out of Thea, not that she knows anything. All William wants is to have a normal day today. Maybe make at least one friend, then come home and hide in his room and play video games – after he does his homework. He’s not a complete slacker, though he hears that’s in his DNA.
William shrugs and heads out with Thea following.
Later, William and Thea pull through the gates of Star City Prep in Thea’s convertible and inch through the drop off lane for the middle school students. William feels a bit better—the ride through town seeming to have cleared his head a little. So far, he really likes his new school, going to class and being around other people is proving to be a good recipe for getting his mind of the things going on in his personal life.
“Have a good one, kiddo,” Thea says as William unlocks the car door. “Your dad’s driver will come get you after school, then you’ll—"
“Meet Raisa at home. Got it. Thank you, Aunt Thea.”
Just as he opens the door, Thea reminds him, “You know your dad loves you, right?”
“I guess. It’s just really…” William is unsure of what else to say. He is tired of people trying to force a father-and-son relationship on him. He likes his dad, and he really does think his new family is pretty cool, but he just needs time. They are still halfway strangers.
“Weird. I know. New family, and well, just have a good day.”
William gets out of the car. Thea surprises him by getting out, too, then coming around to his side. She leans fashionably against her cane. “I won’t go in with you, I promise.” Before Thea can say anything further, a young girl runs up to her, powder blue backpack bouncing on her shoulders. “Thea! Your leg getting better?”
“Hey, Zoe! Totally getting better.” Thea smiles brightly at Rene’s daughter. “Do you know my nephew, William?”
“Oh, I think we have Life Science and English together,” supplies Zoe, a much less enthusiastic smile on her face.
“Yeah, I think so, too,” William sputters. He fights the blush creeping up his neck. He hates being so awkward sometimes. Then he has an idea. “You wanna go in together?” Maybe he shouldn’t have asked that. She probably has her own friends.
William smiles. “Okay. Great.”
Thea smirks at both of them. “Okay, well. Don’t study too hard.”
William blushes again. Ugh. “Bye, Aunt Thea.”
Thea chuckles as they head inside of the gorgeous building that is Star City Prep.
Oliver walks into the SCPD precinct to find Dinah with Petersen Richards in cuffs and the boy with Mrs. Bailey from Hope House. The boy has a blanket around him. Oliver really doesn’t want to think about the fact that he’d put his son in this type of situation before, and now maybe this boy, too. Why the hell had that guy taken him to the old Queen estate?
“I want to question him,” Oliver tells Dinah when she approaches him.
“It wouldn’t look right. Just let me handle it.”
Oliver backs off. The kid is rescued. Everything is fine. He’ll bring it up to Felicity later. They can decide together if they need to dig any deeper.
Later that day, Oliver arrives at the Mayor’s office. With Rene in tow, Quentin approaches him with in the outer corridor beside his office. “You got the guy. Smile a little.”
“Yeah,” Oliver grunts. He needs to talk to Felicity, and not just about the throwing star. He just needs her. With a steely intake of breath, he soothes his deprived heart as best he can and focuses on what Quentin is saying.
“I have a few things for you to sign. Then we have a meeting with the Neighborhood Empowerment guy in two hours, then it’s the Waterfront people, and then the liaison for the Department of Parks and Rec.”
“Never a dull moment,” Oliver quips just before his phone bloops with an incoming text. He chuckles after pulling out his phone and scanning the message. “William’s off to a good start.”
“He met Zoe this morning. I think they hit it off.” Oliver smiles a bit. As if his ears were burning, Rene shows up, holding his own set of papers for Oliver to sign.
“What’s going on, Hoss?” Rene asks, taking in Oliver’s amused smile.
“Zoe and William met this morning.”
Rene starts. “Tell your kid to behave himself around my little girl.”
Oliver chuckles. He knows Rene means no offense to William. He’s just doing the overprotective father thing, something’s his keenly beginning to understand. “I’ll be sure to do that.”
Rene points a finger at Oliver. “I mean it. Zoe’s gone through a lot.”
Rene backs down a bit. “I didn’t mean…She’s my little girl.”
“They’re both good kids from what I can tell.”
“You’re right. I bet William looks after her. I keep forgetting he’s nothing like his dad.”
Oliver frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Rene smirks and walks off. He could really act like a punk sometimes. Oliver shakes his head and walks back to his office.
The next morning at the bunker looks like any other typical day. Most of the team is not around at this hour, which according to the clock on the corner of Felicity’s console is 9:37am. She is currently sitting with Curtis, working on personal projects. Only a few hours of sleep have been absorbed since rescuing the boy, but Felicity feels somewhat refreshed thanks to her morning cup of coffee and soothing shower. Her nights have been a lot less restless after those first few months after Lian Yu, and she’s inching toward feeling like herself again. She still needs a hell of a lot more to get her back in that place, but she now she’s got a plan—sort of. She cracks her neck.
“Just a little bit. I’m good though.”
“I could give you a neck massage,” Curtis offers.
Felicity expels a dry chuckle. “The only person who has good enough fingers to—”
Curtis pushes away from his workspace and slides his chair next to Felicity. “You are being stupid. You know that, right?”
Felicity wrinkles her nose and rolls her chair to another work station. There’s nothing she can do about the situation. Why does everyone think she wants things to be like this? William has to be the priority right now. And she’s fine. Better than fine – usually. As if everyone else isn’t going through stuff.
“I know William’s the priority, but can’t you guys just—”
Felicity whips her head around, signaling for Curtis to drop the subject. He raises his hands in mock-surrender. She may not be able to change the Oliver part of her life just yet, but she would do something about the work part of it. Should she bring it up now? Felicity sighs and turns back to her computer for a second. Maybe not just yet. Soon, though, very soon.
“Is it just me or are things getting a little slow around here?” Curtis asks as if reading her mind.
Felicity turns back around. This time she moves her chair toward Curtis. “Do you have something in mind to change that?”
A serious expression settles on his face. “I just miss us working together on cool stuff, like we did back at Palmer Tech. You were a great boss. Still are. I mean, you run this whole place, so—”
Felicity nods. She misses being the boss of a tech company but values her work as Overwatch dearly. She just needs a little more in her life, something that’s all her, something out there with her name on it. “Yeah, but it’s not the same. Actually, I wanted to ask you about something. But later.”
And soon, they settle into the day, moving in a flurry of taps and tinkers on projects across the bunker.
Time passes and 9:50 am on the clock turns to 9:50 pm.
Felicity rolls her chair into the middle of the center platform and stares up at the ceiling. “We totally need lives.”
Oliver strides in. Felicity straightens and looks up to see him wearing a forlorn frown. When he spots her, however, his frown melts into a content smile.
“Oliver? I thought you had to be home with William.” She pops out of her chair and goes to him. They meet just off the stairs of the platform, drawn to one another like magnets. They are so close that Felicity notices a loose button on Oliver’s dress shirt. She reaches out and flicks it a little. He stares into her eyes for a long beat. Her fingers tremble a bit. He catches her hand.
Curtis clears his throat. “I just remembered I have a Crash Bandicoot meetup tonight.”
Felicity and Oliver continue staring at each other. “What’s a Crash Bandicoot?” Oliver asks Felicity.
“Video game character,” Curtis fills in. “We’re a gamer meetup, but there’s a new Crash out and—”
They turn to look at Curtis, but Felicity’s hand is still resting on Oliver’s chest. He flicks his thumb over her skin as if trying to soothe something she can feel creeping to the surface – vulnerability.
The rough clearing of Curtis’s throat sounds like an awkward old motor. Felicity knows she would have laughed if Oliver practically buzzing thumb wasn’t doing what it was doing. “I’ll be going.” Curtis points toward the elevators then speed-walks toward them. He looks back once and gives a thumb’s up. Felicity shoots him a glare. “Yeah, going.”
When he’s gone, Oliver visibly swallows and steps back. “I wanted to—uh, I wanted to say good night.”
Felicity steps back with a faint blush heating her cheeks. “You could have called.”
“I wanted to…say it in person,” Oliver murmurs.
“Yeah. I just… I wanted to catch up. We haven’t spent much time together in the last few weeks… other than our calls and being here, and I…” Oliver clears his throat but says nothing more.
“I know. So, I don’t want to stand in your way… you know with William and…”
“Well, we can plan a dinner. Friendly. Nothing serious. Chinese at my place. Wait. Maybe not Chinese because you know what happens when we do Chinese. Well, if we leave out the wine maybe we’ll be okay. That is if you have time or think it’s a good idea.”
Oliver’s face lights up. “Dr. Who night at your place sounds perfect. And we’ll do Big Belly Burger instead of Chinese.”
Felicity chuckles. “But what about William?”
Oliver sighs and shrugs. “He prefers Raisa over me anyway.”
“Oliver…I’m being serious.”
He moves her away from that line of questioning as quick as lightning. “You want to do it tonight? The dinner, I mean.”
Yes. Yes. A thousand and three times yes…but no. Not now. She’s not ready for it to be right now. She bites the inside of her cheek. It’s too quick for it to be the way she wants it to be. She feels so much better than she had. She needs him, but something is telling her to hold back. “Not yet. But soon.”
Oliver nods, reaching out to touch her elbow. “Okay. I like that dress on you, by the way.”
Felicity blushes, the mood suddenly a lot lighter. “Thanks.” She moves back to her computers. She’ll put another twenty minutes in. There’s always work to be done even if it’s not her other kind of work… yet.
The next day, as mid-morning light spills through windows of second period world geography, William Clayton Queen and Zoe Ramirez sit in class trying to pay attention to their particularly slow-cadenced teacher. William passes Zoe a note with a silly doodle on it. She giggles.
“Mr. Clayton. Miss Ramirez.”
They both look up with gasps. William speaks up first. “Sorry, Ms. Beauchamp. It won’t happen again.”
Later, Zoe catches up to William in the hallway just before lunch. The place is a sea of privileged kids with a side of geniuses on scholarship for one of three reasons – brains, smarts, or connections. Zoe Ramirez is a bit of all three: the quiet girl, who’d felt lost the first few days, hopes she’s found kindred in William, who seems just as out of place as she feels, in spite of his newfound pedigree.
“So, you hate your dad?” she says to break the ice. Complaining is always a good way to get people talking.
William walks without answering for a while, dodging a large eighth grade jock who looks at least sixteen. “No, I actually feel really lucky to have him now, but at the same time, I’m not sure if it’s his fault my mom is dead.”
So, he’s closed off and then spills his guts. Unpredictable. Got it. “Do you really think he’d have let your mom die if it was his choice?” she asks.
“Then…” They stop just outside of the cafeteria.
“Yeah. He’s trying. I just… I miss my old life, too.”
Two students slightly older than Zoe and William wearing high-tech remote-control wristbands part the hallway with what look like mini rolling robots.
“That’s a miniature BB-8!” William’s eyes widen, his finger jutting out at the orange and white robot toy zipping between students’ feet. “It’s a droid from Star Wars.”
Zoe rolls her eyes. “Duh.” She giggles. “I know you miss your old life, William, but this one could be pretty cool maybe.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” William smiles as they head into the cafeteria. “You think I can talk my dad into buying me one of those?”
Thea stands in the middle of the common room of the temporary Hope House location, talking with Mrs. Bailey. Though the old location had been declared a historical landmark in Star City decades ago, they have yet to decide if it will remain the location for Hope House itself if it is restored. Both Mrs. Bailey and Thea agree that the center is less about the location and more about what Hope House does for the community. She’s also really excited to be doing something on her own. She hates what happened, but it’s obvious they need her more than ever.
“I never expected someone like you to take such an interest,” Mrs. Bailey admits.
“Well, my father was instrumental in starting Hope House even before Ollie was born. It came on my radar when I saw what you were doing to help single mothers, in addition to the boys you board in the foster care system.”
A young woman has been standing nearby listening, having just walked in a few minutes earlier. Thea looks up and smiles at her. The woman seems to take this as her cue to join Thea and Mrs. Bailey. “I couldn’t help but overhear. I’m Dawn Driscoll. My son, Cody, and I love the center, too. It’s been a real God-send. But as Mrs. Bailey mentioned, you’re Thea Queen. It’s just amazing to see you here, I guess.”
“We all have our demons to slay, some more than others.” Thea smiles. “This place helps those who don’t have a support system. Some of us don’t even realize how valuable that is until it’s gone.”
“I know you lost your parents younger than most,” Mrs. Bailey says to Thea. “That couldn’t have been easy. Money can’t replace losing the ones we love, and riches don’t mend heartache.”
Thea nods. She’s all for bonding, but she wants to stick to the matter at hand. “Have you learned anything new about why the kidnapping happened? Or the fire?”
Mrs. Bailey sighs. “Not much. They’ve questioned the kidnapper, but he isn’t talking. I’m just happy to have my boy back, and to have that horrible man behind bars.”
“But the police aren’t sure he’s the one who set the fire. They think he had an accomplice,” Thea states. She notices Dawn clearing her throat and shifting uncomfortably. “Do you know something?”
“No. I just. I don’t like the idea of anyone else out there that could hurt the kids, or any one of us.”
“Right now, I feel pretty much like a failure,” Mrs. Bailey says, blinking back tears and looking away.
Thea shakes her head. “There was nothing you could have done. The world has bad people, but we can’t let them destroy the good. I promise you will have help to rebuild, and that the new center will have all the best security money can buy. But it already has what can’t be bought: good, dedicated people like you, who are not easily scared away. Trust me, you are doing great. You’re making a difference.”
“Would you like to take on more of a central role?” asks Mrs. Bailey.
“You mean like something more full-time?”
Before Mrs. Bailey responds, Oliver and Felicity walk in. Thea spots them and waves them over.
“Thea, you really should stay off that leg a little more,” Oliver says instantly in big brother mode.
Thea rolls her eyes, ignoring him. “Mrs. Bailey, Dawn, you know my brother, Oliver?”
“Mr. Mayor,” Mrs. Bailey says, extending her hand. Oliver shakes it, then Dawn’s.
“And this is Felicity Smoak,” Thea supplies.
Mrs. Bailey gasps. “Huge admirer, Ms. Smoak. Always keeping track of the influencers with big minds in our town.”
“Oh, I’m, uh…not so influential,” Felicity says with a flush.
“You were CEO of Palmer Tech at what? 28?” Mrs. Bailey goes on.
“I’ve always admired you and your innovations. I knew you were headed for something big for this city, then suddenly you were gone. Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s okay. Just taking a little hiatus. You’ll see me again soon enough.”
Oliver shoots her a look. She shrugs as if to say she was just going along. Oliver knows better though. “So, let’s talk. We’d like to help you with whatever you need.”
Cody bursts into the room, eyes sort of wild. Thea dashes out of his path as the kid practical knocks her over.
“Hey, slow down, bud,” Dawn says as if trying very hard not to snap.
“Hey, Mom,” says the pre-teen, “I thought we were getting some food. I’m tired of waiting out there.”
“This is my son, Cody,” Dawn introduces the boy to the group.
Oliver is the first to extend his hand. “Nice to meet you, Cody.”
Cody folds his arms and scowls before clipping out, “Nice to meet you, Mister Mayor.” Oliver frowns at the cold reception. Cody goes on. “How’s your long-lost son?”
“Cody!” Dawn flushes red, eyes wide.
“You know William?” Oliver asks.
Cody rolls his eyes. “He probably goes to a froo-froo school, so no, can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”
Oliver lifts his eyebrows. Thea and Felicity share a look. Ouch.
“Do you want to go to the new VR center downtown?” William asks Zoe as they walk down the street, his limo infuriatingly following at a snail’s pace behind them – parking for a few moments, then driving ahead.
“I should probably go home soon. My dad worries.” Zoe squints in the sunlight, hand shielding her face as she looks at William.
“Yeah. I know the feeling,” William says with a tired sigh.
“You know my dad works with your dad.”
“Oh. I was meaning to ask how you knew my Aunt Thea. I guess I just forgot,” says William.
“It’s okay,” says Zoe. “So yeah, he works for the mayor. He’s his assistant’s assistant. That’s how come I know your aunt.”
William looks over his shoulder and sees his driver parked and looking at his phone. A surge of rebelliousness that he rarely possesses floods his chest as he looks at Zoe. “Let’s ditch him for a minute.”
Zoe beams at him then takes off, hardly giving him a chance to catch up. “Come on.”
They round the nearest corner into an alley, laughing and out of breath. They wait several seconds before peeking out to see the driver panicked. He has no idea where they are. They laugh some more. “We should go back and put him out of his misery,” says Zoe.
Mid-afternoon falls into early evening when Oliver walks into the bunker, carrying a bag from Big Belly Burger. Felicity sits at her station. No one else is in sight. “Well, hello, Mr. Mayor.”
“Just got you fries in case you have dinner planned. We’ll save the burgers for movie night,” Oliver says, approaching her workstation and depositing the bag.
Felicity adopts a playful frown though Oliver can still spot the weariness behind them. “What movie night?” she asks.
Oliver’s mouth opens and closes. “You said earlier that we’d…”
A full-blown grin lights up her face. Oliver presses his lips together, holding back a smile, as his stomach flips and his heart fills with love and affection for the woman in front of him. There’s his girl. He’s missed this so much. He’s so glad they’re taking the time to talk when they can. But he needs more. He watches Felicity take the bag and pull out the fries. She’s so incredibly worth waiting for, but he’s ready.
“You know you could have gotten me a burger. I don’t need to fit in some fancy suit at night,” Felicity teases.
“Something I’m utterly grateful for. So, um, anyway there’s something I need to talk to you about,” Oliver goes on. He sits in a chair next to her and steals a fry.
“What’s up?” Felicity asks. Just then, Oliver’s cell rings. “Maybe you were right to just get fries.”
“Sorry,” Oliver mouths and answers, “what do you mean he escaped?” Oliver hangs up. “William ditched the driver, and Zoe’s with him,” Oliver explains. “Shit.”
Rene and Dinah walk in. Rene is in his suit from work. Dinah is in jeans and a casual shirt. “I love days off,” Dinah declares.
Oliver and Felicity ignore them, continuing their conversation. “They’re just probably grabbing a burger. Don’t want to be with a stuffy driver all day.”
“Who’s just grabbing a burger?” asks Rene.
“William and Zoe ran away from my driver.”
Rene stiffens. “They’re probably fine.” He pulls out his phone to call his daughter. “She’s not answering.”
Oliver’s does the same. “Neither is William.”
Oliver shares a freaked-out look with Felicity. Dinah notices. “What? What else is going on?”
Felicity speaks first. “The kidnapper just escaped.”
William and Zoe find themselves at the edge of Bay Street, where a few shops line the road. They stroll along halfway between relaxed – due to their escape – and tense, because they’ve broken the rules. “My Aunt Thea said my dad used to ditch his driver all the time. She said it, but I don’t think she’d think I’d ever do it,” says William.
“I don’t know.” William shrugs. “Maybe they think I’m a good kid. Everybody always thinks that.”
“Wanna get some ice cream?” William suggests, spotting an inviting cone-shaped sign swinging a few stores ahead.
Their phones buzz simultaneously. William looks at his first. “It’s my dad.”
Zoe looks at hers. “Mine, too.”
“Jeez, we can’t even get away for three minutes,” remarks William.
Just as they are about to answer, the boy, Cody, from the center appears in front of them. His eyes shine with mischief and derision.
“William Clayton? Son of Mayor Oliver Queen?”
William backs up a step. “Yeah? Do I know you?”
Without warning, the boy socks him hard in the stomach. William topples to the ground, groaning in pain. Zoe hits William’s attacker on the back, but he knocks her away. Then, for good measure, Cody pulls off William’s shoes. “Could always use a pair of fancy sneakers.”
William explodes with anger, hops to his feet and knocks Cody down. Cody easily shoves William off him and punches him in the nose. Cody gets up and bolts.
In his socked feet, William chases after him. A rage the long-lost son of Oliver Queen did not know he had inside bubbles to the surface. Willam’s speed picks up, and soon he’s right behind Cody’s back. Then with a rage-filled growl, William leaps forward and pounces on him. Zoe rushes up and slams her foot into Cody’s side. Before anything further happens, the limo driver appears, his bodyguard-sized hands breaking them apart. Cody looks frightened at the intrusion.
“You okay?” the driver asks William. Just as William opens his mouth to reply, Cody scoops up William’s backpack and darts down the road. “I’ll go after him. You kids get in the car. Your fathers both want me to get you outta here.”
“We’re fine. You got us. Just forget the backpack.”
William looks over the driver’s shoulder as a black van pulls up a few yards down from where Cody continues his escape. Two men – both in black, one with a beard, one without – hop out. He can hear one saying, “That’s him! That’s the kid!”
“Which one?” the other replies.
“Which one do you think, asshat? Flash backpack.”
The bearded guy grabs Cody and throws him into their van.
“Hey!” William shouts. He looks over his shoulder and sees his driver heading back to the car with Zoe. “Are we gonna help him?”
The driver loads Zoe into the car. “Stay put,” he says to Zoe before stalking over to William. “Who knows what a kid like that is involved in? Just get in the car. I’ll get you home.”
William shakes his head. “I’m calling the police.”
The driver attempts to snatch William’s phone away, but William evades him. “I said get in the car, Mr. Queen.”
Shocked, William opens and closes his mouth but does not protest further. He looks down and sees fifteen more texts from his father. Shit.
With a swoosh of the elevators, a wide-eyed Zoe and an irritated William enter the bunker less than ten minutes later.
“So, you’re telling me you’re friends with Batman or something? This can’t be your Aunt Thea’s office.”
“That’s what we tell the driver.”
“But I thought she worked at City Hall.”
“I guess the driver guy doesn’t like to ask questions. He just likes to bully us in the name of our parents.”
“Whatever. Just tell me what’s going on? This place is like…” Zoe trails off in awe as she continues to take everything in.
“My dad’s the Green Arrow,” William admits with a shrug. “I figure he wouldn’t mind me telling you, since he insisted I bring you here with me – like twenty times.”
“Yeah, I know,” William sighs. “Here they come.”
Zoe looks up, expecting to see Oliver’s dad. Instead, she sees someone much more familiar, dressed in full superhero gear sans mask.
“And that makes my dad… Dad?” Zoe’s eyes well up with tears. “What are you wearing? What’s going on?”
“Honey, I…” Rene reaches a hand out and steps cautiously toward her.
Zoe shakes her head, really taking it all in, then—she freaks. She backs away from his gesture of comfort. “Daddy, I…this is dangerous. I don’t want you to do this.”
“I just got you back!” Zoe’s tears spill down her cheeks. “This is way worse than the stove! You’re going to get yourself killed and land me back in foster care!”
“No, honey, I promise to be careful.” Rene tries to hug her. Oliver and Felicity appear behind him, watching at a safe distance.
“Don’t touch me.” Zoe steps back again. “I’m not stupid. You fight and kill people. If anyone finds out, we will all be in danger. I already lost Mom, and now I’m going to lose you, too!”
She runs off, not caring that she has no idea where she’s going, hand clapped over her mouth to stop hyperventilating.
“Looks like she went toward the training room. I’ll go talk to her,” says William in a neutral voice.
“She’ll get used it,” Oliver offers.
“Sure, she will,” William snaps then moves off to find to Zoe.
Oliver takes a step toward him. “William…”
William whips around. “You’re gonna go save that kid, right?”
Oliver nods. “You know I will.”
“Good.” William starts to head off, then stops without turning around. “Just be careful.”
Oliver sighs. “Always am,” he assures him.
William starts to walk away. He stops just before the training room and looks back as Oliver and the team head out to save yet another kid put in danger, and Felicity slides in front of her machines to work the comms.
About a minute later, William finds Zoe on her knees in the middle of the training room, head bowed. He inches close to her then tentaively touches her shoulder. She turns around and, to his surprise, flings her arms around him, sobbing. After the initial shock, William lets her settle her cheek on his shoulder. “Shh. It’s gonna be okay. They’ll be okay,” he tells her. He hopes to God he’s not lying to her.
Thanks to Felicity’s quick surveillance, Oliver and the crew head toward the Star City Rockets stadium, armed and ready. “Much easier tracking them this time, huh?” Dinah remarks.
“It’s almost like they wanted us to find them,” quips Rene.
“Stay sharp,” Diggle reminds all of them. “We’re still one man down out here,” he says, referring to Curtis being home with his bad knee.
“We’ve got this, Spartan. We always do,” Oliver remarks.
“Green Arrow, the boy they have is the same kid we met at the center, Cody Driscoll,” Felicity explains over the comms.
“What is this guy doing? Taking kids from that specific center?” asks Rene.
“Not the same guys. Maybe both working for another person,” says Dinah.
Felicity’s voice spills into their ears, “William said he heard one of them mentioning his backpack. I think he was after…”
“William,” Oliver fills in. “This does have something to do with me. Fuck! We definitely need to talk when I get back.”
The van pulls up to the stadium. The team flies out, weapons at the ready. The stadium stands sit empty, but the lights flood the grassy center of the Rockets’ home.
A man, taller, wider, and more menacing than the kidnapper they apprehended the other night, stands in the center of it all wearing a silver mask. He’s cloaked in black and wears a pair of gloves. The thin man that Oliver recognizes as the kidnapper emerges from behind him. On either side of them are two big goons, one cracking his knuckles, the other keeping Cody in a chokehold. Team Arrow stops a few paces in front of them, poised to fight.
“The Green Arrow. I thought you might show up,” the foreboding leader says through a modulator. It’s chilling, smooth, almost as if he fashioned it to sound both vile and posh.
Oliver nocks his arrow, aiming it at the leader. “Let the boy go,” Oliver grits out.
“You know the Queens funded half this stadium,” the leader says.
“Just put the weapon down and step away from the boy,” Oliver goes on, not taking the bait. He makes a quick plan in his head on what to do next. Done.
“They funded the center that takes care of this boy and so many others. They were such good people.”
Oliver, quick as lightning, shoots his arrow into the thug holding the boy’s leg, then another into the ground, causing smoke to cloud the assailants’ faces. The thug writhes in pain as blood spurts from his punctured wound. Diggle grabs the boy and moves him out of the way as the team goes to blows with the enemy – left and right, jab and kick.
Seconds later, the loud speakers fill with the song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
“Don’t you love a good, competitive sport,” the man in the silver mask says as half a dozen more goons fly at them.
Oliver kicks the closest one in the face, then whips around and punches another in the throat. Three others appear, rushing forward, one of them a woman in all black. A canary cry rips from her throat. Dinah jumps in front of her and lets her own sound waves blast back.
Back at the bunker, William and Zoe watch in awe as Felicity does her magic. She’s tapped into the video feed of the stadium and can see everything. The way she focuses with her fingers flying across all the technology in front of her seems out of this world. Both kids think she’s all kinds of awesome.
“You’re all doing great. Green Arrow, behind you. Spartan, look left. Wild Dog, five o’clock on your six.” Felicity continues instructing the team where to go to either avoid or take out their adversaries.
Diggle and Wild Dog fire their weapons at several men sending bullets their way.
A stone’s throw away from them, Oliver flips over more approaching minions. One thick-fisted brute smashes a powerful blow to his chest, but Oliver does not react. Instead, he knocks him back with a precise upper-cut, then turns around and keeps fighting more goons. Soon, everyone but the leader, the woman who was clearly Black Siren, and the thin kidnapper, are laid out on the floor. The three others escaped, but the boy is safe, thank God.
In the aftermath, Oliver and the team lead Cody to the front of the stadium.
“So?” Dinah speaks first, arms folded in front of her as they reach the sidewalk in front of the massive structure.
Cody folds his arms and scowls. “They paid me to follow Queen’s kid and then they took me. Stupid jerks!”
Oliver takes the kid by the collar, not wanting to hurt him but wanting to scare the shit out of him. “Who was it?”
“I never saw any of their faces. None except those two you took out. I didn’t get a name. But it wasn’t them who paid me. It was some lady. She had a mask on. Please don’t call the police,” the boy asks. “I just want to go home.”
“Too late, kid,” Dinah says, looking up as the police lights flash and her team appears behind them. “You’ll be fine. We’ll make sure the mayor doesn’t press charges. I think you’ve learned your lesson, right?”
Cody nods with a sigh. “Yeah. I just want to see my mom.”
Oliver isn’t all that happy with Dinah’s proposal. The little punk needs to be taught a lesson, but then again, maybe today was enough.
Team Arrow melts into the night as the police approach the boy. His mother is with them, arms open. He runs into them.
Oliver enters his new penthouse, the home he’s made for his new family with William. He knows he would feel a sense of relief if one more person came to live under its roof. He sighs, blocking out that line of thinking for the moment, greets Raisa, and finds William already in his pajamas in bed.
“I’m glad Felicity got you home safely,” Oliver tells his son, hanging in the door frame, unsure of his invitation to enter.
“Yeah. You can come in if you want.”
Oliver walks toward William’s bed but doesn’t sit. “I hope…” Oliver stops, clearing his throat. This is so hard. But he’s got to be strong for his son. It’s not about just him and the team any more. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of this.”
“Just a day in the life of the kid of the Green Arrow.”
Oliver sighs and goes over to William’s desk chair. He pulls it around so it’s in front of William. He’s close but not too close. They hug sometimes, but they haven’t gotten to a place where it’s automatic and always welcome. Oliver’s still treading lightly with him, letting him take the lead while trying to show that he’s loved no matter what. “William, I don’t want you to have to get used to any of this. I want to make sure you’re safe at all times. That’s why you have to stay with the driver. He’s your bodyguard.”
“I’m also the mayor, so you’re just going to have to put up with it, okay?” Oliver tells him, feeling more fatherly than he ever has at that moment.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Oliver assures him.
“Is that kid okay?” asks William.
“He’s lucky,” William mumbles, looking down at his lap. Oliver turns and picks up the stack of baseball cards on William’s dresser that he’d given him.
“You sure you like baseball?”
Oliver nods thoughtfully, then reveals, “My father used to take me to the games. It was his favorite thing. But I was more into football. I just liked it because my dad and I did it together.” When William doesn’t respond, he continues, “Felicity was telling me about these conventions they have for superhero things and comic books.”
William lights up a glimmer. “Yeah! There’s one in Central City next month.”
“We could go —if you wanted to.”
His light dims immediately, and he shrugs. “I guess. If you have time.”
“I’ll make time,” Oliver assures him, standing up.
“I’m fine. Goodnight, Oliver,” he says, shutting the light off next to his bed and snuggling into his pillow. He called him Dad once on the island but hasn’t since. Oliver recalls, even in that moment of extreme terror and exhaustion the joy he felt hearing that word fall from his son’s lips. He longs to hear it again, but he knows it will come when the time is right.
Oliver heads toward the door, then stops once again before exiting. “I want you to know that it’s okay with me when you make mistakes. I just want to keep you safe. I love you, William. Goodnight.” William does not turn around.
Oliver re-enters the living room. Raisa appears from the kitchen, taking in Oliver’s face. “He just needs some time, you know.”
Oliver nods, feeling extremely comfortable moping in front of the woman who practically raised him. Her being here is like a godsend, and he’s so utterly grateful.
“I tell you what, Mr. Oliver… Why don’t you go unwind? Begin again tomorrow. I’ll be here tonight.”
“I shouldn’t just… I can’t.”
“You be here in the morning to make him those perfect pancakes of yours and talk again.”
Oliver nods. “I’ll go in a little while when I’m sure he’s asleep.”
Raisa smiles in understanding.
“What would you say about us moving into the old mansion one day? You know, if, I, uh, ever got married and…”
Raisa’s eyebrows lift. Oliver wonders he said something wrong. “I’d say you’ll find your own home one day. But maybe take William by it. He might like to see it.”
Oliver grins. “Yeah. Maybe I will one day. Thanks, Raisa.”
A few minutes later, Oliver hops in the shower. Refreshed and lightly cologned up, he changes into a pair of comfortable jeans and a sweater. Soon, William is asleep. Oliver is grateful his bedtime is set at 10pm because at 10:20pm, he’s knocking on Felicity’s door.
Felicity sits on her sofa in a tank top and a pair of her softest pajama bottoms with a freshly poured stemless glass of pink wine in her hand. She’s ready for the delicious liquid to hit the spot and smooth a bit of warmth in her heart for the moment – a cold substitute for her preferred type of medicine. At least, her sleep patterns are getting better. She’s determined to be strong for herself and those around her. She flips on her television and takes her first indulgent sip just as her cell rings. She picks it up from the coffee table in front of her. “Hello?”
“I decided to leave City Hall,” Thea’s voices filters through the receiver. “I want to work at Hope House full-time for a while. I think I could make a difference.”
“I love it. I totally love it,” says Felicity. She really does. Hearing Thea doing something for herself fills her with joy and a sense of sisterhood she can’t explain.
“You’re gonna do great,” she confirms.
“You don’t think Ollie will want to tar and feather me?”
“He’ll be happy for you. He loves you,” Felicity says, then after a beat spills out, “Actually, I’ve been thinking kinda the same thing. I want do something more… a company with my tech, and—”
“Oh my God!” Thea squeals. There’s that sisterhood thing. “I’ll totally be an investor! You have to do this.”
“Yeah. Thanks! I’ll, uh…”
A knock sounds on the door. “Thea, I’ll call you tomorrow, k?”
Felicity takes another sip of her wine before placing both it and her phone on the coffee table, then heads to the door. She looks through the peep hole. It’s Oliver. She pulls open the door without hesitation.
He stands there, shuffling his feet, not at all looking like there’s an actual emergency.
“Hey,” he says in that soft voice he reserves for her.
They stare at each other for several beats until Oliver clears his throat. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” Felicity gestures a welcome with a sweep of her arm and steps aside to let him in.
“I just wanted to…” Oliver starts then stops.
The next instant, they speak at the same time.
“Um, so Black Siren’s back,” Oliver blurts out as Felicity asks, “How’s William?”
Oliver scratches the back of his neck. “William’s asleep, and Raisa sort of kicked me out, told me to unwind.”
“I just wanted to…” he trails off. He pinches his lips together, then puffs out a breath of air. “If it’d be okay to…?”
“Have movie night early and not talk about the re-emergence of Laurel’s doppelgänger that supposedly died on Lian Yu or the string of kidnappings loosely connected to your family’s former charity?” Felicity suggests with a tilt of her head and a quirk of her eyebrow.
Oliver nods, releasing a relieved breath.
She knows him better than she knows herself. “I’ll pour you some wine.”
“Great.” Oliver looks at the drink in her glass as he settles on the sofa. “Pink wine.”
One and a half glasses of pink wine in, Felicity’s head rests on Oliver’s shoulder as the latest Star Wars rolls out of the first third of the movie. A bowl of popcorn sits in front of them. Felicity snuggles her cheek into his shoulder a bit, catching Oliver’s responding sigh completely. Warmth, the right kind, swirls through her body. This is right. They are right. “I’m ready, Oliver.”
“So am I,” he admits. She sits up to see his eyes slip shut as if he’s holding himself back. “So much.”
Felicity pauses the movie as she says, “But… we should give it more time.”
Oliver nods, then looks at her. “And I don’t want to push you.”
Oliver swallows as they hold each other’s gazes for a long beat. He nods again then sighs. “William hates me.” He looks down at his twiddling thumbs in his lap.
Oliver turns and cups her face, cutting her off with a kiss. It’s short and sweet and promises nothing more than, “Soon.”
Felicity’s face heats, and she swallows. “Soon.” She pecks him another time before pulling back.
“Soon when?” he wants to know.
“Let’s just wait and see. Maybe a month or two?”
Oliver nods. “By the way, I need to show you something later. Tonight, I just want to exist and be with you… if that’s okay.”
“Roger that.” Felicity settles back into the sofa and pulls a throw over her legs. “Superhero switch officially off.” Oliver grabs a handful of popcorn and stuffs it into his mouth. He throws a piece at her. She retaliates. He tickles her feet. Her heart fills with light. They are slowly getting themselves back. Chase hadn’t won. Thugs like Ricardo Diaz and men in silver masks working with evil Earth 2 doppelgängers could never and would never stand in their way – not when they had each other.
From the top floor of the former Queen estate, in the former bedroom of Robert and Moira Queen, a dark figure stands in a smoking jacket at the large picture window overlooking the grounds. He flips over an old baseball card, Starling City Rockets – looks vintage, possibly early 1980s. He pockets it, then ducks his head to peer through the telescope set up beside him. His gaze takes in the whole of Star City in the distance.
“One step at a time, Mr. Queen. One step at a time.”
The figure turns, his dark shoes avoiding the stream of a pungent substance soaked into the carpet. When he reaches the bedroom door, the man takes out a lighter and drops it. He shuts the door behind him.
Minutes later, his gloved hand slides the front door slides shut. A silver and black Rolls Royce slides up the drive and stops in front of him. He gets inside. As the man and his driver pull off the grounds, the former Queen family estate begins its journey into a pile of ash and rubble.
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