Secrets
Summary: Oliver had many secrets, most of them he hoped to take to the grave with him. However, some of them were on full display on his body and anyone with the correct knowledge could decipher them.
An: I do not own Arrow. This is my third story about Susan Williams. Boy does that woman annoy me. Even Adrian Chase knows better than to talk to her! If you're interested in the other stories, they're called Ire and Truth Tea.
The news headline was glaring at him. Oliver Queen, Mayor, Bratva Captain and Green Arrow. It was written by his now ex-girlfriend. It had been very difficult to read the article but he needed to know what exactly he was facing. He was surprised by how thorough the article was. She had to have been working on it for months, long before she met him. Which meant that when she started seeing him, her whole purpose was to get him naked to see the Bratva tattoo. The Arrow brand on his back must have been a bonus for her.
Looking back on their relationship though, the signs were there. She had once made a flippant reference to a twitter battle with a journalist in Russia, probably to test his reaction to mentioning Russia. She liked to serve him Russian vodka which he never questioned. He should have asked what made her think he would like Russian vodka. After their first time together she had pressed him lightly about the tattoo and the scars but he had passed that off as natural curiosity. He should have picked up on the fact that she was dead sure that he obtained the tattoo while on the island instead of the obvious conclusions of before or after the island. The biggest mistake he made was not trusting Thea. Thea had been stabbed in the back by Susan and had warned him. Even Quentin didn't like her. As the Green Arrow he trusted his team but as the Mayor he hadn't. That grave error would now cost him the mayorship.
He supposed he had been willing to overlook everything because he believed in redemption. Redemption had to be possible because he needed it. There were so many bad things he had done over the years. He started out his crusade by dropping bodies, something his best friend had never approved of. Even when Felicity started, she had an issue with some of his methods. She innately understood that there was a time when there was no choice and you had to do it but there were other times when you shouldn't and that was when he should hold back. It had taken him time to learn that.
Two of his biggest secrets were now laid bare to the world. There were numerous calls for his resignation and talk that SCPD would be arresting him soon. There was a small percentage of people that were hailing him a hero on social media. He knew Felicity had started that in case things really went downhill. Only she had the necessary knowledge to point out every good thing the Green Arrow had done and all the lives he had saved. She was very careful to separate the Green Arrow from The Hood. Roy had taken the fall for that and his sacrifice would not be in vain.
After he read the article he made one call to Susan. She answered on the third ring. He only had one question for her, why? Her words rang in his ears.
It's my job Oliver. The people have a right to know who is representing them.
He disconnected the phone after that answer. There was no point in going any further. Their relationship was over. He could not look past a betrayal like this. His team wouldn't look past a betrayal like this. In his hour of need, his team hadn't failed him. They were there in his office with him searching for ways out of this mess, a mess he had gotten himself into when he started a relationship with Susan.
Thea was pacing in front of his desk like a caged tiger. "I going to kill her," Thea suddenly declared angrily. He could see the tension in his sister and he knew she was dying to release the angry energy inside of her.
Before Oliver could tell her not to, Felicity's hand grabbed Thea's right as she was passing the chair in front of his desk that Felicity was seated on.
"No, she doesn't deserve death. That's too lenient. We are going to destroy her," Felicity said fiercely looking up at Thea. His sister seemed extremely pleased with that response and the two women seemed to carry on a silent conversation.
Felicity's reaction to the article about him had scared him. He knew she had been flirting with the darkness. She was the first person in his office this morning with the paper. She promised him they would find a way to fix it and he believed her because her eyes had that determined fire in them that never failed her. She sat opposite him with the article in front of her and asked about the facts that Susan had written about Russia. It pained him to admit that they were right, that Susan knew things about his past that he had never shared with Felicity. He stated clearly that he had never told Susan anything. The only thing he did, was share his body with Susan and that had been a grand mistake.
Felicity poured over the article for things they could use to discredit it. She carefully examined the picture of him from Russia and he noted that she seemed fascinated with his hair style. She ignored the pictures of his bare chest and back that Susan had taken while he slept. He could only imagine how much pain that was causing her. While she read, Diggle arrived next followed by Quentin and Thea together.
As he was about to open his mouth to protest whatever it was that his sister and Felicity were planning, the two women that knew him best, turned to him in unison.
"Stay out of this," they both warned him at the same time.
Diggle, who had been sitting in the corner silently with Quentin spoke up, "Oliver leave them. You need to focus on fighting this thing in the open."
"We need to make a statement," Quentin said speaking for the first time since he came in. Both men had taken one look at Felicity and Thea and knew to keep their mouths shut. It was best to let Felicity and Thea work through their anger. It would only make matters worse if they added to it.
"I have no choice but to resign," Oliver concluded.
"NO!" both Thea and Felicity screamed at him. His sister and Thea communicated silently with each other before Felicity spoke.
"Oliver, you are the best Mayor this city has had in a long time. You can defend yourself which is important with our city's history. This isn't your fault. It's Susan. She's the one that couldn't see past the glory of posting this article versus the greater good of not telling anyone," Felicity insisted.
He tried to tell her that he had made things worse by getting involved with Susan but she cut him off.
"And don't blame yourself. Susan Williams was like a dog with a bone. Dating you only made it easier to access the information she needed for her story but I am 1000% sure if you had turned her down she would have just found another means to gain access to you," Felicity said confidently.
Thea snorted, "That woman would probably have paid someone to sleep with you and take photos of the tattoo."
"Felicity is right Oliver. Susan Williams was determined to get this story. If you want to blame yourself well then you have to blame all of us. We are your team and we didn't protect you enough. We should have checked the woman out thoroughly but we didn't," Diggle said.
He saw Felicity bow her head slightly and he knew what she was thinking. He would talk to her in private. She was fond of telling him that her decisions where her decisions well it was a two way street. The same applied to him. She didn't push him into any relationship he didn't want.
There was a knock on the door and everyone looked around tensely. Curtis was in the lair, Rene was home and Dinah was out looking for a job. It could be SCPD. Oliver stood and buttoned his jacket. If SCPD was there to arrest him then he was going to face it head on. Thea and Felicity both looked like they weren't going to let him go but there would be no choice if they had an arrest warrant. Diggle got up from his seat and answered the door. District Attorney Adrian Chase walked in.
"I suppose you approved the issue of an arrest warrant," Oliver stated. He had accepted his fate.
"Actually I didn't," Adrian replied much to everyone's surprise. "Unlike that reporter, I do have a bit of foresight and I believe in the greater good. This City won't benefit from your arrest. Who will step up to take you place?" Adrian asked before turning to Quentin, "No offense meant but the burdens Oliver's carries might be a bit much for you at this point in time."
"None taken," Quentin replied. It was true.
"My office is releasing a statement to say that we are starting an investigation into the allegations and no arrests will be made at this time. Our statement will be out at 2:00pm. I suggest you get yours out before that and you start working on rebutting everything that article claims," Adrian advised.
"Thank you," Oliver said sincerely offering Adrian his hand.
"You're a good man Oliver and I'm not in the practice of putting good people away," Adrian admitted giving Oliver's hand a firm shake.
As soon as Adrian left, Felicity started barking orders. She had sure taken a keen liking to being in charge. Within an hour, his team had worked together seamlessly to prepare a scathing response that not only denounced the article but attacked the reporter. Oliver didn't want to attack Susan like that but there was no overruling a combined Thea and Felicity. That was a force, no man stood a chance against. He had learnt an important lesson that day; always trust in your team. They had his back and they would help him protect his secrets.
An: After that last scene with Susan and her informant it made me wonder if she works for the CIA or another organisation like ARGUS. Guggenheim stated that the episode named Checkmate was not about the organsiation Checkmate. Susan is confirmed to be in that episode. The whole thing is just very suspicious.