Wild Dog
Saves Christmas!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but what you see here! I know I'm a couple days late and a dollar short for this, but I figure oh well on it. And to a certain guest reviewer who always likes to speculate rater then actually review a chapter, the reason I even wrote War on Darhkness was due to my dislike of how certain things were handled in the second half of season 4. So I honestly have no plans to write something like that for the second half of season 5 unless it really goes downhill like the second half of season 4 did. Don't get me wrong, there was things I enjoyed about it but ultimately I was still disappointed enough to write WoD. As for your rant about Laurel, come on now man… The characters on the shows, ESPECIALLY during the crossovers SPECIFICALLY mentioned that Laurel's death was un-affected by Flashpoint.
As it is, even if her death had been affected, I strongly doubt she would have been missing in action all this time. I don't think the creators actually even flat out said they were bringing Laurel-1 back either for that matter. They teased yes, but ultimately it was never going to be about our Laurel for very obvious reasons cause of how they worded things. So if you're disappointed now for giving yourself high hopes when things were loud and clear, you're definitely going to be even more so disappointed when its finally revealed Prometheus is in fact not Tommy and its actually that one dead guy's kid. Anyway, on with the show! Also, this is set in the Merrymen 'Verse with a little mild what if like action regarding Rene and a possible kid.
Had Rene Ramirez known of the insanity that he would end up dealing with that day, he would have never answered his phone that morning after only having fallen asleep a mere four hours before that after getting in from a night of patrol to ensure folks would be safe from criminal activity. But answer his phone he did and it would be his ex Katrina on the phone. Frantic and panicky over the fact she hadn't been able to get their daughter a Suzie Luffle Doll in time for Christmas. The fact Christmas was the next day had only made that worse and pleaded with him to try and find one as she wouldn't be able to do so that day due to other commitments she had going on involving family. Making for Rene to grumble a bit but promising Katrina that he would do his absolute best to find that doll for their little girl. She thanked him and then hung up and Rene groaned as he put down the phone. While he and his ex didn't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things, something that had nearly cost him his rights to Elana, they did see eye to eye on things when it came to their daughter and what she needed.
He had first tried several stores in the Glades before deciding to go into the rest of the city since he thought it would be less violent there. That, and the likelyhood of there not being any asshole Elves running around. And he'd be proven wrong to a certain extent as while shoppers weren't quite as willing to pull out a weapon, they were willing to throw a punch. Something that sparked a full on riot at the twelth store he'd gone too. He couldn't even get the team to help him out with his mission since none of them were willing enough to brave the stores that day. And there'd been more then one time when one of the dolls was almost in his grasp, only for it to be taken by another much to his immense dislike. The Suzie Luffle Doll was a hot item this year and it was being shown very well as the doll was getting sold out rather quickly everywhere. And the last thing Rene wanted to do was order one online as it would take awhile for it to arrive and he didn't want to disappoint Elana. Which would only serve to potentially spark an argument with Katrina.
It'd be around 2:30 when he'd get a call from Katrina while he was at the Big Belly Burger over in the area of Little Vibe. "Hey girl." Greeted the man tiredly as he picked up a fry to munch on.
"Are you alright? You sound a little tired."
A chuckle escaped the man. "Oh, I am beyond a little tired. Believe you me on that. I've been goin' ever since you called me this mornin' tryin' to find that doll." Admitted Rene tiredly.
Katrina winced from her side of the line and strongly wished she had been more on the ball where that doll is concerned. She listened to him in shock and morbid amusement as he went on to describe how the hunt had gone on. From asshole Elves and knife happy mothers in the Glades to punch happy Aunts outside of it. The fact he'd been indirectly responsible for the riot at Gladman's had been pretty damned funny to her. "Oh stop! Its embarrassin'!" Groaned Rene as he ran a hand down his face.
"I'm, I'm sorry! Its just really funny is all! Oh God, I owe you big time for this!" Got out the woman in between her laughter.
Rene rolled his eyes and shaked his head over it. "Yeah, you definitely do."
"Anyway, I'm gonna enjoy this well deserved meal of mine and then get back out in that nightmare. Give my love to that babygirl of ours alright?"
"I will, and be safe out there. Oh, and try not to start anymore riots!" Laughed the woman and then hung up.
Causing the vigilante to look at his phone and then sigh in annoyance as he put it down and then got down to the fine business of devouring his well earned meal. He'd spend about thirty minutes there as he needed a good long chance to rest before he finally got back out there into the madness. Not realizing that Carly Diggle had been paying a little attention to the whole thing and since she knows all about what John and Oliver get up too, that she would give them a call about what Rene's up too. She'd been working for the restaurant ever since she moved into the Vibe area as it was a lot safer to be there at any rate. For both living and working. He'd have no luck in Little Vibe unfortunately and would reluctantly journey back into the rest of the city and end up in a fight at one point with a bunch of Elves and two Santas. He'd also nearly get ripped off by a dealer too and said dealer would get his ass handed to him by an irate Rene. "Messin' with my daughter's hopes is like messin' with my own. A bad idea." He told the man before knocking him out and going on his way.
By 8:22, Rene had pretty much lost hope at that point as all the stores were closed and he hadn't been able to get the doll. And so he'd gone down to the Bunker to vent his frustrations on the training dummy down there. "Whoa, makes me think of you with that level of frustration man." Remarked the voice of one John Diggle.
Oliver said nothing and only rolled his eyes over it. Rene turned to the two with a look of frustration on his face. "Look, no offense to either of you guys, but I'm really not in the mood to chit chat."
"No luck on the Suzie Luffle Doll huh?" Asked Digg with a slight wince on his face.
"No." Replied the young man sourly.
Idly, Oliver began to wonder if he'd ever get an opportunity to go through this with William. Or any other kids if it was to ever happen. But then shook the thoughts from his head as that was only really likely inviting trouble on himself that he could do without! "Any reason you didn't come to us about this?" Asked the archer and current Star City Mayor curiously.
A sigh escaped the younger man. "I honestly didn't think either of you would be able to do much. Plus, I asked the others but they weren't too willin' to get out there and face that kinda craziness."
Both men looked at one another and then back at him. "Right, makes sense." Replied Digg.
Rene then got a look on his face. "Wait, did they tell you about this whole thing!?"
"Nah man, my sister in law told me about it after over hearing some of your conversation at Big Belly Burger earlier."
"Oh, right." Yay for nosy people!
Oliver then stepped forward with his hand still behind his back. "As its clear you weren't able to find that doll, its why we're here."
"To do what exactly? Take me out to get drunk over my failure to provide for my daughter?" Asked the man a bit sarcastically.
"No, to give you this." Replied Oliver easily and not even feeling any annoyance as he was slowly getting used to Rene's biting sarcasm.
A look of confusion came across Rene's face as Oliver brought out a package from behind his back and handed to it him. "Uhh, what's this?"
"A Suzie Fluffle Doll. I managed to pull a few strings and cash in a favor or two to get this." Answered Oliver.
Freezing in shock as he stared at the wrapped package, hardly believing what had just happened. "I think we broke him." Muttered Digg jokingly.
Looking up at the two, Rene rushed to the two and hugged them before he could even stop himself. But once he started hugging Oliver, he realized what he was doing and backed off quickly with a look of embarrassment on his face. "Uhh, sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it. Moments happen."
Rene nodded, grateful for the out the Boss Man was giving him. "Right, I'ma get cleaned up and then get the Hell outta here. And also? Thanks you two, thanks a lot."
"No problem man, besides, I think all the thanks to goes to Carly instead." Replied Digg with a smile on his lips.
Chuckling to himself, he told them he just might do that and ran off to get cleaned up and then left to get to his ex and their daughter. Elana would get to open that present that night and would open the rest in the morning. And the look of shock and utter happiness on her face made Rene's tired self think that the Hell he went through to get her that doll was worth it. "Oh daddy! Thank you!" Squealed the little girl and rushed to hug him while Katrina looked on in happiness.
Gladdened that he had been able to get their baby girl that darned doll! I beyond a doubt, definitely owe him big time! She thought to herself and began to wonder a bit on how she would repay it.
And as their daughter ran around the living room in pure joy with the doll in her arms while the rest of the family looked on in amusement, Rene drifted off to sleep with a big smile on his face with her being the last image he saw as he did so.
Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed! And to that same guest reviewer from before, do NOT come up on the review system for my fics promoting your agenda. Hell, I've asked you in the past to STOP speculating in a nice way and you never did. The review system is to REVIEW the fic you are READING. And guess what? Cause of your little agenda promotion, I've now set it to where guest reviews are to be moderated. And it'll stay that way until the speculation stuff stops for good. No, the Laurel on the show that is showing up is not our Laurel. Its happening, get over it and move on. They never even actually flat out said Laurel-1 was coming back.