Title: Her Dad, The Hero
Rating: T
Genre: Family/DramaRomance
Character(s): Chloe/Oliver, Hailey Queen (OFC), mentions of OMC's
Summary: She came to a startling realization that night.
Her Dad, The Hero
1/1
Hailey Moira Queen was born to a lifestyle of wealth and love. Unlike the outlook most often perceived by others of the wealthy, she didn't grow up with everything she ever asked for and she wasn't spoiled rotten. She grew up in a large manor outside of Star City, the first daughter of the billionaire Oliver Jonas Queen and his wife, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, Chloe Ann Queen (nee Sullivan). She had rules like all other children, no matter their financial standing. When her birthday or Christmas came, she wasn't showered with thousands of gifts, but rewarded with a realistic amount. Her parents were easily able to say no to her and they didn't let her act as though she were the Queen of all Queens.
She grew up with parents who were heavily charitable and believed in justice and truth religiously. She had six 'uncles' that were very much involved in her life: Clark, AC, Bart (her favorite), Pete, Bruce, Victor and Roy. Five aunts that loved to talk to her about boys and clothes and always let her force them into games of dress up and afternoon tea: Lois (her favorite), Lana, Delilah, Samantha, and Kara. She was an only child until she turned five, then her brother Christopher came along. When she turned nine, she had twin brothers to worry about as well: Adam and Jake. With three little brothers, growing up as the only girl in the house was hell. Thankfully, her parents stopped reproducing and she didn't have to put up with babies waking her up by the time she made it into high school.
At sixteen, her most rebellious act against the world was wearing whatever she wanted, whether her parents liked it or not. Not entirely a revolt against society – nothing like how her mom used writing as a tool to bring down the corrupt. Now the editor of the Star City paper, Chloe Queen wasn't always out on the scoop like she had been when Hailey was growing up. As a young girl, she remembered the long hours her mother would spend surrounded by papers or typing at her laptop. She always had time for her daughter, but her newest mystery was always just waiting to be solved. Weekends were always family time, no matter what the world was up to. Both of her parents put away their stacks of paper to spend time with their kids. Her mom would unplug her laptop and give her the chord to hide wherever she wanted just to be sure that she didn't give in to the urge to work.
Hailey had once wanted to be just like her mom, but then she realized how dangerous it was and she never wanted to have a hospital record as large as hers. She also never wanted to see that look on her dad's face that was always shown when he got the call from SC General that her mom was injured (again). The fear and terror and stoic expression that only slipped when it came to his wife… She'd never had anything happen to her that caused that reaction from her dad. There were scrapes on the knee and bumps on the head, and one time she sprained her wrist. She'd even fallen out of a tree a time or two. But never anything life threatening. Her dad always greeted her with a grin and a ruffle of her hair as he kissed her forehead. " Battle scars," he'd tell her whenever she got hurt. But when it was her mom who was in the hospital, he was never anything but scared out of his mind. He tried to put the usual veneer of being strong and confident and sure of the outcome. But she could read his face, maybe not as well as her mom, but she saw the fear in his eyes.
Growing up, she could honestly say that she'd never worried about falling into that 'kids with divorced parents' category. She knew her parents loved each other. They had their fights, of course. They were such stubborn and strong willed people. And when her mom got hurt, it was as if another tally had been drawn on the board for reasons her dad wanted her to get out of the business. He never came right out and said he wanted her to quit. He understood how in love she was with her writing. But it was obvious that every time she left for some fresh mystery, he was just waiting for the phone to ring. She'd seen them, a million times, late at night as her mom finally came back. Her dad would spring up from the couch, where he'd been waiting all along. He'd try to act like he wasn't worried, like he hadn't been pacing or staring at the phone, but she always knew. And she'd just hug him; hold him tightly and remind him that she was there, she was solid, and she wasn't ever leaving him.
Hailey never quite understood why her mom acted the same way with her dad though. Some days she'd be extra tentative around him. He'd have some random bruise or scrape that there was no real explanation behind. They'd tell her the old "loose nail somewhere" line but she knew it was something else. She'd grown up an investigative reporter's daughter; she knew when something wasn't right. Her father was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, so he shouldn't be returning home with bruises or bandages. It just didn't make sense. During her younger years, she didn't pay it much attention, but as she got older she began to wonder. Why did he go out every night? Where did he go? Why did he only use his bike during his late night excursions?
The possibility that he was fooling around with some other woman never even entered her mind. She'd never seen two people love each other as much as her parents. Her aunt and uncle, Lois and Clark, were a close second. But when her parents were together… There was just something about them. She'd asked them once, how they got together. "Work," they'd say and no more. So she asked her Uncle Bart and he'd always get an oddly reminiscent expression on his face. "I used to crush on your mom like crazy once," he'd remind her. As if she didn't know. He still flirted harmlessly with her from time to time. "What could've been…" he'd tell her. But he never explained how her mom and dad really met.
She knew they dated three years before marrying and didn't have her for another two. So, all in all, they'd been together a total of… Math wasn't her best subject. Twenty one years. At her age, she couldn't really imagine being with the same person that long. They were still just as affectionate as they'd been when she was a kid. Always touching, cuddling, kissing and whispering when they thought no one was looking. And he still looked at her the same way he did when Hailey was just a little girl and she'd see them together. There was a pride and adoration in his eyes that he reserved solely for her. And just like him, her mother shared those same feelings, those same expressions when she looked up at him. She'd seen pictures of them when they were younger; in the prime of their lives. When he still looked like the debonair Queen billionaire that had woman falling at his feet in want. He was a family man now; a father and a husband. He coached little league baseball and was on the PTA. He helped her little brothers with science fair projects and never let her date boys more than a year older than her. Even then, he wanted to meet them, their parents, and every relation they had. He was an overprotective, arrogant, serious, stoic and work oriented man that held his wife in high regard and his children with the most love and pride a father could have.
But the man she knew as her father had a completely other life she hadn't known existed until only a few hours prior. She remembered vividly the moment she realized her father was not just some boring CEO that lived off billions of dollars. He was so much more than that. She'd been walking home from a movie; some D list horror flick that wasn't worth the ten bucks she paid to see it. Her friends went to a party but she wasn't interested, so instead she decided to walk the half hour trip home. It was late and she should've called home for a ride, but it was a nice night out and she felt like enjoying the fresh air. Her heels clicked loudly in the silent emptiness of the street and a chill ran down her spine. She looked around with furrowed brows and tugged her coat tighter. She felt like someone was watching her; following her.
Her feet sped up and her heat began to race with fear. She dug around in her purse as inconspicuously as she could and found her cell phone, dialing one and pressing send. She hoped her mom would pick up and lifted it to her ear. Within seconds, her cell phone had flown out of her hand and crashed against the pavement, shattering into a million little pieces. She'd mourn it later (it cost her four months worth of extra chores, baby sitting and saved up allowance!). She was a little too preoccupied with the angry guy pushing her up against the wall and waving a knife at her threateningly.
"Gimme all your money, bitch," he shouted at her. Spittle escaped his mouth, sliding grotesquely down his whiskered chin.
"I- I don't have any," she sputtered. Her dad made her keep all her money on her debit card for safekeeping.
He pulled her forward and then slammed her back against the wall, eyes irate as they glared at her. "Yeah right. Rich bitch like you. I know who you are," he spat, shifting around on his feet and looking around worriedly. "Empty your purse out!"
She could feel fear shaking her right to her bones. Her heart was pounding in her ears, tears building in her eyes.
"NOW!" he yelled at her and she nodded, blinking rapidly so not to let him see her cry.
"O-Okay," she said, jaw quivering. She lifted her bag and pulled it open, her shaking hands searching around for something, anything, to give him so he'd let her go. Her hair fell over her face in chunks. Her mom had taken her out to get a new hair cut and she'd gotten it layered, the long white-blonde strands falling to just below her jaw. She blinked her green eyes rapidly and swallowed tightly. Her dad always said she had her mom's looks, she supposed that didn't help her in that moment. He appeared to know who she was. She lifted a hand and pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to steady her breathing as she kept pushing things around in her large bag. God, why'd she have so much junk? Make-up, iPod, earrings, more make-up, a pen, Christopher's soccer card, blackberry that died three days ago, an extra pair of socks that her dad told her could one day come in handy (she rolled her eyes), tampons, her little brother's G.I Joe that he told her was for good luck, a few random phone numbers written on chunks of paper, Adam and Jake's baseball cards, a saran wrapped stack of cookies that her mom gave her, a half-off coupon for McDonalds, her friendship bracelet with her best friend Josie, chapstick, a bottle of water… Why was her purse so damn big?
"Stop stalling!" her attacker yelled, startling her as he waved his knife around and nearly cut her cheek in the process.
She yanked her head back, staring at him with large, fearful eyes. "Please, I don't have anything. I'm sorry," she cried.
He reached out, yanking her purse from her and spilling half of its contents in the process. Hailey bit her lip. What would he do when he realized there was nothing to take?
He kicked around the stuff on the ground, staring at it with anger. "What is all this shit? Where's the cash? The gold jewelry?"
"She's wealthy, not stupid," a deep voice interrupted.
Hailey's eyes lifted to stare shockingly at the tall man dressed head to toe in green leather.
A second later, however, her attention swayed to the greasy looking man next to her, whose arm raised, knife turning in her direction and nicking her chin. She felt it piece her skin and whimpered. Just as quickly, the new arrival had her attacker pinned to the wall, an arrow pierced through his shoulder, forcing him to show weakness and cry out in pain.
Green Arrow, a man she knew only through her mother's approving articles stepped forward, paying her no heed, his attention entirely on the squirming man. He held his bow in one white-knuckled hand, muscles rippling in his arms. "It's not nice to prey on helpless little girls," he said, mouth set in a firm line.
"She's a Queen. She could afford it," the man told him, panting and sweating as he tried to yank his arm away from its pained prison.
"She has money and that makes it okay for you to attack her?" He sounded so calm, but the distorter he must be wearing barely hid the sharp tone he was using.
Her attacker sneered. "So she got a little scared. I'm sure daddy'll buy her a pony to cheer her up!"
A green gloved hand reached out toward her, delicately wiping away a trickle of blood from her jaw and brought it back toward the man. "And this? What will her dad give her for her injury?"
The man snickered, nose flaring.
Green Arrow lifted his bow, the tip of his arrow pressing against the jugular of her attacker. He gulped, lifting his chin as if to get away from the pressure. "Maybe I should return the favor."
"Please, I just needed some money. I- I didn't mean to hurt her. I… Please," he whimpered, no longer the vicious and foul man who'd acted as though he wasn't afraid.
Green Arrow didn't let up and for a moment, Hailey was pretty sure he really was going to kill the man before her. While some part of her couldn't help but think he deserved it for going around and attacking people with knives, she'd learned from her parents that murder was never the answer. That justice could be found in other ways than how it was often portrayed in movies and television. She reached out, her hand shaking as it landed on Green Arrow's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm fine. He… He's not worth it."
His head turned slightly, acknowledging her.
"Yeah, I'm not worth it," the man told him, staring pleadingly up into the covered eyes of her savior.
He pulled back, his bow returning to his side, but just as her attacker breathed a sigh of relief, he received a punishing blow to the side of his face. Green Arrow had used the force behind his elbow to knock him unconscious. He then pulled out a small handheld thingamabob that she didn't understand and pressed a button. A red light flashed a few times before turning green and with a slight smile, he hid it away in his belt and turned to her. Without saying a word, he gripped her arm rather tightly and walked quickly out of the alleyway she'd been forced into. She knew she should probably be a little wary, but she couldn't quite summon the fear. He had, after all, just saved her life.
As he came to a halt, he turned to her, his features lit by the street lamp behind them. She stood in confusion as he began pacing, hands on his hips in a gesture that quite reminded her of her father when he was waiting for her mother to return. Finally, he stopped and turned to her, lifting a hand, his forefinger raised as if to make a point. His mouth opened but then closed and finally he lifted a hand and flicked something off at his neck. A second later, he'd taken off his sunglasses and thrown back his hood. "What were you thinking?" he asked, in a voice that sounded far less distorted than the man before.
Her mouth gaped open. Green Arrow was… Her dad?
"Dad," she sputtered.
"It's nearly one in the morning, Hailey. You should have called home! Your mom would've picked you up!" He lifted an arm, apparently not at all uncomfortable with the fact that he was dressed in all leather and playing Green Arrow at night without letting her or her brothers know anything about it. "She must be worried sick," he exclaimed, voice raising. "You know the rules. Never go anywhere alone!"
"I- I know. I just…" She couldn't quite wrap her mind around it all and so she was having a hard time coming to grips with what was going on.
"You could've been killed. That guy could've…" He trailed off a moment and she raised her eyes to look at him. Her brow furrowed. He'd never looked at her that way. As if he might lose her; really and truly lose her. That look was reserved for his wife; a woman who was constantly in danger. "There are rules for a reason," he said, voice shaking as he tried to keep up his strong persona.
"I know," she whispered.
"You could've gotten hurt. He could've…" He couldn't say it. He never had been able to.
Even with her mother, he'd always let it trail off. "You could've… We can't lose you…"
She'd never expected to see that look on his face, not for her. He'd always been so blasé about her little injuries. As if she could never really get into these situations. Then again, he'd done all he could to keep her away from the possibility. They'd had a buddy system in tact since her birth, practically. She was never supposed to be alone. She always had her cell with her she was supposed to call home every hour, on the hour unless she was staying at a friend's overnight. She was never allowed to bike ride or rollerblade without a helmet, shoulder and knee pads. Her first swimming lesson, she was wearing more floaties than the rest of the class combined. He let her go to public school, but then he had a metal detector put in for "the entire school's safety." He had a background check done on everyone she came in contact with; teachers, friends, random strangers on the street. He had the resources and he was using them. If he could've talked her into getting a tracking device put inside of her, he probably would have.
"I'm okay," she told him. And following in her mother's footsteps, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and hugged him. Her eyes built up with tears. More now because the whole reality of it all fell down. She really had almost died. A man wielding a knife had attacked her!
His arms wrapped around her, gripping her strongly and she felt the protection behind her father's embrace multiply ten times in that moment.
"I-I'm sorry," she cried, sniffling against his chest.
"Shh," he murmured, stroking your hair. "Daddy's got you."
She nodded, burying her face against him. He smelled like leather and she giggled slightly. "I can't believe you're Green Arrow," she said, her shoulders shaking with a mixture of laughter and tears.
He squeezed her momentarily. "Few know."
"Mom does though, right?" she asked, pulling back slightly and looking up at him with red rimmed green eyes and a tear streaked face.
His mouth quirked on one side. "You really think I could keep something like this from her? She had me found out after only meeting me once or twice."
Hailey laughed, nodding. "That's mom."
He smiled fondly. "Yeah." He looked around, sighing. "You have to be more careful."
"I know." She lifted a hand, wiping at her face and stepping back from. "I will."
He stared at her, face stoic now and then he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her forward. He ruffled her hair and kissed her cheek before tracing a glove covered thumb over the nick on her chin. "Just another battle scar," he told her softly.
It was more reassuring than she thought it would be.
He flipped his hood back up then and returned his sunglass to his face. "Come on, I better get you home to your mom before she has a fit."
She smiled lightly and followed after him. His bike was hidden away around a corner and she climbed on the back, using him as a shield against the wind whipping around her. She felt sick to her stomach when they reached home. She decided then and there she hated anything without doors. He followed her inside, shedding his sunglasses once more. She watched him grin as her mother came down the stairs knowingly. Her hair was thrown up in a lopsided ponytail and she had a green bathrobe tied around her as she rubbed at her face tiredly. "Back already?" she asked sleepily.
"Ran into a small problem," he replied, lifting a brow as he turned to his youngest daughter.
Her mother came to a sudden halt at the bottom of the stairs and she stared wide eyed at her eldest child for a moment. "What happened?" she asked, suddenly rushing across the floor. She spotted the cut on her chin immediately and her face clouded with anger. "Who did that?" Her voice was raw and vicious and Hailey would've flinched had she not known it was meant for someone else.
"I took care of it," Oliver assured.
His wife turned to him, expression severe. "Arrow to the jugular I hope."
Hailey couldn't help it, she laughed. "You guys know each other waaay too well." She shook her head before shedding her jacket and kicking her shoes off. "I don't know about you, but I'm seriously tired. I just had the weirdest night of my life." She sighed. "I've been attacked, my dad's Green Arrow and my mom was actually voting for murder." She shrugged with a slight laugh. "Next you'll tell me Uncle Clark is Superman and mom's a secret liaison for the Justice League." With an amused snicker, she hugged her mom, a little longer than really needed, and gave her dad a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, I love you, and I will see you late tomorrow morning." She walked backwards toward the stairs. "Just so you know, I can never listen to my girlfriends gush about how hot Green Arrow is ever again without wanting to vomit."
Her dad laughed while her mother rolled her eyes.
"Night sweetie," her mom said before turning back to her dad. "Love you too."
"Sweet dreams, baby girl," her dad called out to her as she hurried up the stairs.
It was as she reached the top that she remembered she wanted to ask her dad if he might buy her a new cell phone. After all, if he wanted to keep tabs on her, she was going to need something more high tech; preferably with a camera and limitless minutes. She stepped back down and opened her mouth to ask, but went silent as she watched her parents embrace. Her dad held onto her mom tightly, his head buried in her shoulder and one of his hands buried in her hair.
"She's okay," she could hear her mom whispering soothingly.
He nodded slightly, holding onto her as tight as he could.
It was when her dad's hands ventured beneath her mom's bathrobe and his mouth attached to her neck that she turned around and left. She'd just bring up the cell phone in the morning. It was obvious her parents needed some time alone. Even if she was the one who'd been rather traumatized, she knew her dad was hurting too. He'd spent all of her life trying to make his "baby girl" as safe as could be. He'd taken care of the world and her hometown for decades, with no face-to-face acknowledgement. And still, she was almost killed. Hero or not, he couldn't save everyone. But he probably hadn't expected his daughter to ever be a target. Or maybe it was that he feared she might be one that when it finally happened, he was faced with the reality of it all.
She sighed, climbing into her pajamas and beneath the covers of her bed. She couldn't fall asleep though and spent the next few hours thinking it all through. One minute, her dad had been like any other and the next she was coming to the startling realization that he was anything but. She couldn't quite reconcile the two people just yet. They seemed so different. Green Arrow; a raw vigilante that worked for justice world wide. Defending the weak and triumphing over the corrupt. And then her father; confident and level headed Oliver Queen, the father and husband that epitomized the American dream. Hard working, caring, protective and sweet. But the two were the same, she knew that now. Everybody else would see him as one or the other, but to her, he was her dad, the hero. With that, she closed her eyes and drifted off. There was no reason to ever be afraid. He'd always be there to save her.
Author's Note: I love Chlollie family fics! lol They're so awesome to write! Hope you liked this! Luv yas - Fina!