AN: The last chapter was kinda slow so I promise this will be a little more interesting. Unfortunately I do not own Arrow.
The apartment had become increasingly smaller and more cramped the longer Laurel and Oliver sat on the couch with empty ice cream bowls in their laps making small talk with Mrs. Hawke. Neither Oliver nor Laurel had dropped the question on Mrs. Hawke if they could bring Connor back to Starling City but that was mostly because every time they neared the subject Mrs. Hawke immediately skirted around it. Eventually though it had been Connor who suggested they all go to the park.
As Laurel and Connor fed the pigeons and Mrs. Hawke sat on a park bench Oliver was prepping for a very awkward phone call.
"Hey, Ollie what's up?" Thea greeted her older brother happily. She was looking over the clubs revenue and things were on the up and up for sure.
"Hello Speedy." Oliver smiled a bit at the following groan.
"Seriously, again with the nickname." Thea couldn't help but chuckle a little.
Oliver leaned against the tree, trying to think of how he would explain this.
"Can I have your opinion on something?"
Thea put the papers she had been simultaneously skimming down.
"Is something wrong?" Thea asked worriedly.
"Not really wrong more…complicated."
"What did you do this time?" Thea felt a head ache coming on.
"It's not something I did now more of something I did seven or so years ago."
Oliver explained the situation thoroughly. There was an ominous silence on Thea's side of the line.
"Thea?" Oliver said nervously.
"Laurel already called." Thea had hoped they'd be able to have this conversation face to face.
"Look, there's more to it than the girl I came to see it's…"
"You have a son Connor and you want to bring him home. That'll be so much fun!" Thea's excitement grew the more she talked.
"I thought she told you that she'd told me?" Oliver glared at Laurel who shrugged in response.
"She didn't."
"Well, I'm glad that's what you called about. I was worried you were going to say that you'd changed your mind."
"I don't think you're going to have to worry about that." Oliver smiled as Connor shrieked in joy when a pigeon started nibbling at his shoe laces.
"Okay. Get home fast I can't wait to meet him."
Oliver laughed and snapped the phone shut, satisfied. He happily went back over towards Laurel and Connor and sat next to Mrs. Hawke on the park bench. It was a warm Saturday afternoon. The weather fitted Oliver's mood perfectly. Diggle agreed to meet them at the park and would be there any minute.
"So you do want to take him." Mrs. Hawke calmly said without taking her eyes off of Connor.
Taken aback, Oliver nodded reluctantly.
"Then you should leave today." Was it just Oliver or was the old woman sweating?
"I would love to but there's probably some paper work or something I need to fill out for him to transfer schools or something." Oliver would have kept going if Mrs. Hawke hadn't suddenly grabbed his wrist and whispered harshly,
"We do not have time for that. He isn't safe anymore. First there is something you should know. It's about what happened to his mother, she…"
"Oliver!" yelled Diggle. Diggle? Oliver's reaction was too slow. He dove to the ground but not fast enough to avoid the bullet.
Searing pain raced through Oliver's shoulder. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the concrete. It had merely grazed him. Conner and Laurel ran to Oliver. Diggle rushed past Oliver to follow the mysterious shooter.
"Oliver, are you okay?" Laurel examined the wound.
"Just grazed me." Oliver smiled in Connor's direction. Connor wasn't looking at him. "Connor?"
"No." Connor whispered.
"Connor what's wrong?" Oliver started to move towards him.
"Oliver look." Where Mrs. Hawke had sat there was a red rose with a letter.
His small hands shaking, Connor picked it up gently. "These are just warnings." Connor said reading from the letter. Connor looked at Oliver with wide eyes. "She's gone."
…
"I'm sorry but we cannot let you in." The police officer told Oliver.
After Diggle returned from his futile attempt to pursue the shooter, he and Laurel had gone to get Felicity and head back to Starling immediately. To find the Hawke's they would need the equipment back at the Verdant. So far they only had one clue: The roses. The only part of the crime scene the cop had shared with Oliver was the red rose they had found rested on top of Mr. Hawke's empty bed which he had disappeared from.
"But he's my grandpa! This is my apartment!" Connor lunged forward to get past the cop. Oliver grabbed him before he could.
"We'll be in the lobby." Oliver told the cop while Connor struggled to escape Oliver's grasp.
"Let me in!" Connor screamed as Oliver pulled him away from the lime green door.
As soon as they turned the corner Oliver held Connor out in front of him tightly and knelt so he and the boy were eye level. "Look at me!"Oliver practically growled. Connor kept his head down, tears running down his cheeks.
Oliver immediately felt bad for getting mad at him. "Hey, look at me." He said again; softer this time.
With a sniffle Conner looked up. The little boys cheeks were flushed with rage.
"I know you're angry but that's not going to do you any good."
"Why not?" Oliver sighed. He wasn't sure how to explain this.
"It just doesn't okay? Trust me." Connor nodded reluctantly.
"Alright then." As Oliver straightened back up Connor hugged him. He was caught off guard at first, but after a moment Oliver hugged back.
"I want them back." Connor cried into Oliver's uninjured shoulder.
Oliver was silent. It was hard to imagine that only that morning he would have never imagined this. Sitting on the ground with Connor in his arms Oliver realised that Connor was another new thing to protect. He thought back to when Sarah had told him that there was still a light in him. That he could still be good. Connor's breathing slowed until Oliver realised he was asleep. Connor would be worth it.