Notes: Written for the prompt Warning Signs at Ladies Bingo Round 6. WC = 765
It started shortly after Quentin's funeral. Nyssa was walking down the streets of Star City, on her way to a job interview. As she turned a corner, she spotted Laurel coming out of a bar. Alarms went off in her head. Laurel hadn't touched alcohol in years. So what was she doing in a bar?
That evening, Nyssa casually said "Did you do anything interesting today?"
Laurel shook her head. "Just the usual work at the office" she said. "How was your interview?"
Nyssa suspected the other woman was lying, but didn't confront her. Instead, she began talking about how the woman interviewing her had something trapped in her teeth and Nyssa had felt too awkward to say anything.
Nyssa tried to forget about what she had seen. But two weeks later, when she was taking out the recycling, she spotted an empty bottle of wine hidden at the bottom of the bin. She grabbed the bottle and headed back into the apartment with it.
"Laurel, do you know where this came from?" she asked her girlfriend. As she spoke, she set the empty bottle on the table in front of Laurel.
Laurel glanced at the bottle in surprise. After a moment, she said "Felicity and Thea came over a few nights ago while you were out." She went on to explain that she'd stuck strictly to diet soda while the other two women had polished off the bottle.
"That makes sense" said Nyssa slowly. Again, she suspected Laurel was lying. But she couldn't be sure, and was scared to have a fight with her girlfriend.
Later, once Laurel was in the shower, Nyssa texted Felicity. Did you come over and have some wine? she wrote.
Felicity texted back that she hadn't, and asked if everything was okay. Nyssa knew that things definitely were not okay.
The last straw was when Laurel came home reeking of alcohol. "Have you been drinking?" Nyssa asked her girlfriend.
Laurel crossed her arms over her chest. "No, of course not" she said. "I can't believe you asked me that."
Nyssa shook her head. "I can smell beer on you" she said.
"I went out with a few friends after work and one of them spilled their drink on me" said Laurel.
"Stop lying to me!" Nyssa hadn't meant to raise her voice, but she was angry. "I know you lied about Felicity coming over a few weeks ago, and I know you're lying now."
"I'm a grown woman and I'll make my own choices" said Laurel defensively. "If I want to drink, I will."
Nyssa could feel tears of frustration coming to her eyes. "Laurel, you need help." She knew Laurel was grieving the loss of her father, but she was backsliding into addiction and it scared Nyssa.
Laurel rolled her eyes. "I don't want to talk about this" she said, standing up. Grabbing her jacket, she slammed her apartment door shut on the way out.
Nyssa pretended to be asleep when Laurel came home and laid down next to her in bed. She'd spent the evening texting Laurel's friends.
The next night, when Laurel came home from work, the living room of the apartment was packed with her friends. Immediately Laurel realized what was about to happen. Crossing her arms over her chest again, she faced Nyssa. "Don't tell me you planned an intervention?" she said to her girlfriend.
"Laurel, we're all worried about you" said Felicity. "You've been lying to all of us."
Thea nodded in agreement. "We know how much you miss Quentin, but he wouldn't want to see you like this."
Laurel snorted. "What my father would want doesn't matter anymore, does it?" she said. Then she turned on her heel and walked back out the door.
When Laurel came home and slid into bed next to her girlfriend, she whispered "Nyssa, are you awake?"
Nyssa rolled over and looked at her girlfriend. She could just make out Laurel's features in the light of the moon. It looked like Laurel had been crying. Instinctively, she reached out and stroked her girlfriend's cheek.
"I'm sorry" said Laurel softly.
Nyssa wrapped her arms around the other woman. Then she said "I know how it feels to lose someone you love." In her life Nyssa had lost her mother, her father, and Sara.
Laurel buried her face in the crook of Nyssa's neck, breathing in the scent of the other woman's shampoo. After a moment, she said "I'll go to a meeting tomorrow."
For the first time in more than a month, Nyssa felt a glimmer of hope.