A gust of late spring air rustled the bright leaves of trees and bushes surrounding Laurel as she walked up to the grand doors of the Queen's mansion. The appearance matched the feeling of the place; signs of loss were as evident as the lack of noise coming from Thea's bedroom window, or the pots of flowers on the steps that were now brown and crippled to the roots.

Something even more out of place, Laurel noticed, was the complete lack of light coming from the house. Not a flicker of a lamp or the glow of a porch light. Oliver had asked for her help earlier today, she had come straight here after work. Now she wondered if it was a mistake, and if Ollie was out patrolling the streets in a hood, forgetting that he had ever called.

Just as she was about to turn around she heard the door swing open-

"Laurel?"
"Ollie, I didn't think you were here.. what's with the power cut? I don't recall seeing anywhere else in Starling City devoid of their electricity."
"No, just here. I switched off the main breaker. Saving money. You do know I'm currently out of a job? And a night club. But I'm glad you came."

She couldn't help but notice his excited grin and the pad of paper he had in his left hand.

"Well, that's an interesting way to 'cut back,'" Laurel teased as she shimmied by him into the cold and dark foyer.

"So," she said spinning to face him, "what can I do you for today?"
"Well, actually, I'd like your help with something. A list." His grin got even wider.
"A list?"
"A list. I've got a set-up in the drawing room," he said, leading her towards it.

Unlike the rest of the house, the drawing room felt warm and alive. Oliver had a fire blazing in the hearth, and enough candles burning to give light to the entire space. A coffee table littered with papers was pushed up against the couch in front of the fire and pillows were scattered around the floor; the couch cushions crooked like he had slept there the night before.

"Come, sit!" he said as he straightened up the couch and kicked some pillows off to the side.

Laurel took off her coat and joined him on the couch.

"Ollie, what is all this?" Laurel said, seriously, as she picked up a few Queen Consolidated documents and a map of the greater-Starling area.
"Laurel, when I was on Lian Yu, I had two things. A picture of you, and a list my father gave me..."

Ollie recounted the story of the list to Laurel from the beginning. Through his first year back in Starling City, the undertaking, his method-change after Tommy's death...Laurel listened to every word. She had always been a good listener with him. Patient when he struggled to find the right words, but encouraging enough for him to be honest with her. Something he wished he could have done all those years ago.

"...this is the list of Starling City's 'hood guy,'", Ollie said picking up the leather journal, "but I don't want to be just that anymore. I still need to be Oliver Queen. And thinking of that kid stuck on an island with a picture and my father's ledger, I thought, maybe it's about time we go back to that. But now I need the real you, Laurel, not just a picture. The real you and this list," he help up that pad of paper he had carried to the door, "and I can be Oliver Queen again."

"I...," Laurel exhaled, unsure of what to say. "I... I'd love to help you, Ollie. To be quite honest, I've missed Oliver Queen, too."

He smiled in relief.

"So, hand over that list of yours," Laurel said with a playful smile.

She took it from his hand, and read his familiar, scratchy handwriting.

-Thea
-Queen Consolidated
-CNRI
-Laurel

Unable to take her eyes away from the last two things written on his list, Laurel looked up at him and jokingly said, "Now.. what's so wrong with Laurel?"

Oliver looked down, almost like he was ashamed.

"Laurel.. last year. And the year before that... And five years before that... well, I wasn't there for you like I should have been. And I live with that regret every single day of my life. You deserved so much better. You deserved what I didn't. What we had... well, I broke that worse than I broke Queen Consolidated. For God's sake, I didn't just break it, I blew it up and buried the ashes."

"Ollie..."

"No, Laurel it's true. And I know that we won't ever go back to what we were before the island. That's history. But, if Oliver Queen is going to have a life outside of that hood, Dinah Laurel Lance has to be a part of it." He looked back up at her and into her eyes as his brightened as he said, "Laurel, let's start over. Let's find Thea. Let's get my electricity turned back on and be the partners we were always destined to be."

Laurel held out her hand, "Oliver Queen you said? Well, Mr. Queen, let's take a look at that map you have there," she said with a smile.

Oliver took her hand in his, laughing, and they shook, "Ms. Lance, let me put the kettle on the fire so we can get started."

-End Chapter 1-