June 2012
John Diggle was the head of the Queen family private security for almost three years. When he had taken the job, he researched the family and figured his biggest challenge would be party boy Oliver "Ollie" Queen, even if he had managed to stay out of the papers for a few years. John had been surprised when they had finally met; Oliver was serious, and reserved.
Oliver kept to himself, stayed home and rarely went out at night. He worked long hours at QC and his employees respected him and respected that he was always on the lookout for hot new talent in the tech field. He went to every conference he could, he was thorough and dedicated. The friendship between them grew slowly, it started with jogs through the Queen property and talking about football. Soon Oliver joined him in the gym and John taught Oliver self defense.
John had never seen him angry, never heard him raise his voice. The eldest Queen was even-tempered, unrattled by anything. That also extended to his personal relationships. On anyone else, John would regard the manner in which Oliver treated his mother, father, and even his girlfriend (now fiancee) as businesslike. But, he'd come to recognize that was just who Oliver was. The only two people he'd seen as exceptions to that rule were Thea Queen and Tommy Merlyn. Oliver was open and smiled more when he was with his sister; he was softer. Tommy made him laugh with lifelong shared memories of inside jokes and stories.
John liked Yvonne, everyone liked Yvonne. She was kind, funny, and smart. Oliver and her made the perfect corporate couple. She accepted that Oliver preferred to stay out of the public eye, and avoided the paparazzi as much as possible. That was his old life, that had been Ollie's life and Oliver wanted nothing to do with it. Together the couple complimented each had some reservations about them but he kept them to himself.
John knew about the week-long trips in July to Tahoe, and that Oliver always went alone. When he returned he locked himself away in his office or in the gym, his mood dark. Everyone knew to avoid him until he reemerged. His work improved, his focus on finding the next rising star at QC laser sharp. That was the closest Oliver came to extreme emotions, until the night before, at the rehearsal dinner.
Oliver never panicked, he didn't have anxiety, but last night he had a full blown panic attack. John thought it had to do with the upcoming wedding and Oliver getting cold feet. John had seen it before and figured that Oliver needed a few days away from the stress of the day to get his head on straight.
John had tried calling Oliver, but he didn't answer. John had made sure he got home the night before, so he knew he should be home. When he went to his house at six-thirty for their normal morning run, Oliver was already gone. Most days Oliver would in the office by eight, it was rare for him to be out this early. John contacted QC front desk, and confirmed that Oliver had arrived at work around five in the morning and had not left his office since. John rushed home to change out of his running gear and headed downtown to check on his friend, his concern growing.
John heard Oliver before he saw him.
"Don't tell me there is nothing you can do! How are you going to fix it!?" he bellowed from behind a closed door.
John had never heard Oliver talk to anyone that way. He slowly walked toward the office and gave it a quick rap of his knuckle before pushing the door open. Oliver paced behind the desk, cell phone pressed to his ear. He had taken off his suit coat, loosened his tie, his sleeves rolled up his forearms. He dragged his fingers through his normaly styled hair, the dark circles under his eyes told John he hadn't slept.
Oliver looked up when John walked in, but turned his back and continued his barrage.
"It never should have been on the market in the first place, so how did someone try to buy it? What!? No that is not possible, why was I not told. I don't care that the property is in my father's name. It is my house! No! I will not accept that! I don't care what you tell them. Tell them it is not for sale, and that you lost the damn offer letter."
John had heard about the Tahoe house being sold last night and he had thought that the paperwork was final. He assumed Oliver was on the phone with the lawyers and trying to stop the purchase. John had never been to the house, he figured it was nice place, but could it really be this important that Oliver is waking up a firm of lawyers to keep it? Couldn't he buy another house?
"No, that is not an option. I will buy them out if I have to, but they are not getting that house. I am aware of the time and I don't care. When this is over I want the property in my name. You better have answers when you call me back. And don't keep me waiting."
Oliver slapped the phone onto the desk, his head and shoulders down. John could see the tension in his arms making his muscles jump. His hands in tight fists.
"What's going on Oliver? I have never seen you like this."
"Dig, I don't have time to explain. I have more phone calls to make. Where the hell is Roy, with my reports!?"
"Your assistant probably won't be here for another hour. It's just after seven in the morning."
"I know what time it is. I have a watch. I called him into the office early." Oliver snapped.
John's eyebrow shot up and his head reared back as if he was struck.
"Why? Is this about the house?"
"It's more than a damn house, and I am tired of explaining that to people."
Oliver spun away from John and looked up at large framed print of a lake behind his desk. Oliver told him once that it was the view from the Tahoe house. John always wondered why he kept the photo, he assumed by past behavior that the house held bad memories for Oliver. But maybe there was more to the story.
"It's all I have left and I can't let it go," he sighed.
"Alright, what do the lawyers say?"
"They claim that another firm contacted them about the property. It was never on the market, but a large offer was made, way above the market price. The other buyer is keeping their name out of the bidding war and the other firm is calling it confidential without the other parties approval. So I can't even find the person and tell them to back off."
"But, if it was never on the market, and it's a Queen property, can't you just not sell it? Problem solved."
"My father told the lawyers to sell and they started the closing process," Oliver said through his teeth. "Shit the buyer even waved inspection to speed up the process, claimed they wanted it as is." Oliver slapped his hand on the desk, "who does that!?"
"I don't know man, sounds crazy to me, unless they're just as desperate as you."
Oliver glared at him, "I am not desperate, I am determined."
John crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared back at Oliver and tried not to roll his eyes.
"Sure whatever helps you sleep at night. Got to admit, Oliver, this is a whole new look for you, defensive AND desperate. What is so important about this house?"
"Don't you know the story, Dig? That's where Oliver's life changed. Where he met his Angel." said the new voice behind him.
Tommy strolled through the office door. He carried a pink pastry box and cardboard carafe of coffee. Roy followed behind him with a trolley of boxes full of folders. Tommy placed his offering in front of Oliver and opened the box of donuts.
"I told you to never call her that," Oliver grumbled, but he accepted a donut before heading to the boxes.
Tommy shrugged, "but isn't that what you call her?"
Oliver stopped and looked at his longtime friend, "it's what I call her, not you."
John's jaw dropped for an instant, Oliver had never sounded so threatening before and it was to his best friend. Tommy didn't even register the cold tone and only waved a hand at Oliver while he pulled out his own donut. He looked up at John.
"Yeah, you might want to add overprotective asshat to that list. And Ollie, if you had done a better job of getting her real name, I'd be more than happy to call her that," Tommy smirked at his friend.
John looked between the men and the tension built and snapped with a loud groan from Oliver. He shoved the donut in his mouth and turned his back on all of them.
"Noted and acknowledged. I still have no idea who you are talking about or what that has to do with a house in Tahoe. I know one thing - this has nothing to do with Yvonne or the wedding."
"Oh, no. Definitely not Yvonne. If you have ever heard him talk about HER, you'd know right away that Oliver did way more than tolerate his Angel Girl." Tommy waggled his eyebrows and lowered his voice to just above sleezy.
"Tommy, I am warming you. Never talk about her that way." Oliver growled.
"I know, I know, Ollie she was the best thing to ever happen to you. So touchy." Tommy turns to John. "Basically, Oliver was in a grunge phase and was moping about after getting kicked from another school. He went to his family's cabin for awhile. He met a girl at a local bar and took her home, nothing new there for Ollie. But this girl had magical Ollie-Taming powers."
A low deep growl came from the corner of the office. Roy stared at Oliver in fear and slowly backed away. Tommy ignored him and poured a cup of coffee.
"And over the next week, she and Oliver fell hopelessly in love. And I say hopelessly because of this," Tommy raised his hand ticking off fingers. "They exchanged no names, no personal details, no way to get in contact with one another. Except for maybe she might have put her contact details into a phone that Oliver promptly lost, accidentally of course."
John watched Oliver's head drop to his chest, the weight of the story or the memories too hard to face. His eyes were closed, his face pale.
"She disappeared into the ether, never to be heard from again, and Oliver's been searching for her on and off ever since."
John shook his head in wonder, none of this sounded like the man he knew.
"Wait, who the hell doesn't get a girl's name when you spend a week with them!?" John scoffed.
Tommy sat in Oliver's chair. "That's the fun part. They had rules. Her rules. No personal details. She apparently called him Flynn and you know what he called her?"
"Her rules? Flynn? Why the hell..? That's ridiculous!?" John sputtered. "My guess is Angel?"
"Yep. Confusing as hell, right? She's the best thing to ever happen to him and he let her go."
Oliver slammed a fist down onto the table, "I did not let her go! She left and I was supposed to follow. Now if you two are finished, I have work to do, a house to save and a woman to find. Please leave or pick up a file and help find her."
John looked down at the files. Employee records from different companies. He was sure that most of this information was supposed to be sealed.
"I brought coffee and donuts, you know I'm not leaving." Tommy burst out.
"How do you want me to help?" John offered.
Oliver handed each of them a box, "these are the employee records for every corporate company on the west coast with an technical department."
"We do this every year around this time," Tommy murmured.
"So how long have you guys been looking for her?" John wondered.
"Five years," Tommy groaned.
"Five years," Oliver sighed.
John's eyes widened, damn five years and Oliver had never stopped looking.
"Wait couldn't she have moved? Why only the West Coast?" John asked.
"I don't know the details, but something happened back east that made her swear she would never go back. She seemed both sad and a little nervous talking about it," Oliver explained.
"Okay, West Coast it is. But if you don't know this girl's name how will records help?"
Tommy nodded along, rolling his head back and forth. John figured after five years this questions had been asked before but he was a new pair of eyes, maybe he can offer a different perspective.
"She's a certified genius. Brilliant with computers. She should be about twenty-six years old now," Oliver brightened as he talked about her. "She is remarkable and would stand out in any IT department."
"Then wouldn't you have found her already?"
Oliver stepped up in John's face, his eyes wide anger radiated off his skin.
"Don't you think I've thought about all of this before? Thought that she could be married, moved, gone? I've told myself to move on. To keep on living each day. I care about Yvonne, I am willing to marry her. But HER," Oliver stepped back and covered his face. "There is nothing that can compare to how I feel about her."
"Hey Oliver. I'm not trying to rain on your parade here. I'm just saying, trying all of the things that have failed you before isn't going to get you anywhere. Let's brainstorm some other ideas. You said she's genius level smart, maybe there is a news story about her. Maybe Oliver Queen calls the heads of some of the top new tech companies on the West Coast. Here's a thought- what if she started her own company? Then these employment records wouldn't help you."
"Shit, you're right." Oliver picked up his office phone reached out to Roy. "I need every tech magazine, every dedicated tech website. Hell, get me the brochures from every tech conference for the last three years. I need a web search on genius women under thirty."
Roy's voice echoed through the speaker. "Sir, I will get on this right away. Also you have a video conference in thirty minutes, about the new firewall. And the lawyer called back about the house," he let out an audible gulp. "The buyer isn't backing down."
"Every time I get close, something fucking stops me." Oliver yelled out in frustration. "Something comes up, I lose a phone, or I miss the damn bus. What if it's not meant to be? I've lost my chance. Shit, I'm getting married. I should just take the damn call, go back to work and marry Yvonne in a few days. I'll be-can be happy."
Tommy and John shared a look, Oliver sounded as if he was going to his own execution.
"Yeah, buddy. That was really convincing." Tommy rolled his eyes.
"What the hell do I do?" Oliver pleaded to his friends.
"If this girl makes you act as crazy as that, we find her." John stood up and put a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
"But I can't lose that house. If I never find her, it was the last place we were together."
"Let me try and handle getting more info on the buyer. I'm charming and people like me, and seeing you like this, I'm sure you got all growly and angry on the phone." Tommy winked at Oliver.
"I'll start the internet search, and Oliver, you take that call. Since you know what your talking about most of the time." John sat down at Oliver's desk and pulled up his internet server on the computer.
"Sounds like we have a plan, gentleman. Oliver you might want to clean up a bit. You're looking a little ragged."
Oliver took a long jagged breath, dragged a hand through his hair and scratched his day-old scruff. He nodded and walked out of the office into his executive bathroom. John watched him. Almost three years and he is finally meeting the real Oliver Queen.
"I have never seen him like that," John looked over at Tommy.
"It was worse when he first came back. He shut everyone out, dedicated his life to becoming a better man. He got an education, joined the company to continue his search for her. Every thing he has done was guided by his search for her. I thought that he had gotten past it."
"Wow. What do you think triggered it this time? The upcoming vows?"
Tommy shrugged, "he seemed fine two days ago. Almost excited. He was ready to move. After he started dating Yvonne, he put everything about Tahoe in a box. But now he seems frantic in his search this time. Almost as if he doesn't find her now, he never will."
"Maybe because if he doesn't find her, he'll marry Yvonne and she will be lost to him forever. Begs the question of why he's marrying Yvonne in the first place, doesn't it?"
"You know I was the one that encouraged him to take her on a date. But I never thought it would go as far as it has. I've been wondering why he agreed ever since I found out."
John typed out his search and had no idea who he was looking for. He started printing stories about young female CEOs. He needed more details.
"Tell me what else you know about this girl."
"I know Ollie has some pictures of her, but he won't share them. He's protective of her even now. According to him she's funny, a bit of a nerd and really sweet."
"We really need a picture. I have law enforcement contacts."
"I'll ask and if that doesn't work, I'll get into his place and see what I can find."
"You think he would give it to us if it meant finding her?"
"Honestly, I don't know. Nothing makes sense for Ollie and his Angel."
"I think that's maybe real love."
"Dig my man, I think it's true love."
"Then he's an idiot to even think of marrying Yvonne."
"Sure, I already said he was an asshat so adding idiot isn't too hard."
John nodded his head and got back to his search. He really wanted to meet the woman that made Oliver this crazy. John had once turned his back on love and he was still paying for that mistake to this day. Oliver was making a huge mistake, giving up and tying himself to someone he doesn't love.
July 2005
"You can not hide from me, Flynn, I will find you."
Oliver watched her run around the basketball court and down the slope toward the lake in the opposite direction of where he was crouched behind a boulder. If he can get back to the garage, he can hide her surprise before she made her way back up to the main house.
He had snuck out of bed early in the morning, left her a note, fresh waffles in the microwave and brewed a pot of coffee. He had a plan and she couldn't be there to watch. The plan had come to him the night before, while they sat together on the chaise lounge on the balcony, watching the stars appear in the night sky.
They returned to the house after the hike and Oliver had made good on his promise of a bubble bath. He tried to tempt her into the main house and the master suite, but she said that his tub was perfect for two. Oliver couldn't remember the last time he had taken a bath and he was sure that it had not been with a beautiful woman between his legs.
The water had been extra warm and the bubbles smelled of milk and honey. Oliver sank low into the tub first and offered his hand to help her sit with him. Water lapped over the edge as she sat down, her deep sigh of contentment when she pressed up against his naked chest.
"Talk to me, tell me anything," Oliver asked her ear.
She told him her favorite movie, tv show, books, how she liked to sit in the park and read on Sundays. He learned her favorite color, green, and that she hated onions. Her mother had tried to get her to eat them when she was younger, told her they where white pickles, which she had loved, but as soon as she had taken a bite she'd spit them out and said well I don't like pickles anymore. She hadn't had one since. She told him that for years she dressed up as an astronaut, partly because she wanted to go to space, and also because her mother couldn't afford to buy her another costume. She avoided details, but he still felt like he knew her better than anyone.
Her finger skimmed the water, brushed over his arm. She laid her head back on his chest and looked up at him, offering her lips.
"Your turn."
He started to talk, his arms around her waist. He told her about getting left at the zoo by his father when he was a kid. It had been his babysitter who came and picked him up from security, and she had cried in Russian, promising him cookies.
"Sound's like you had a lot of cookies growing up," she teased.
"Jealous?"
"Nope just wondering when I get some cookies," she turned in his arms.
"I can get out and start a batch if you want."
She pursed her lips and then shook her head.
"Nope, I have you just where I wanted you," she licked her lips and leaned in and licked his chest. She tickled his sides and he yelped. He splashed her and tried to dodge her attack. She splashed him back and ran her fingers behind his knee. They laughed and sputtered until the bathroom had almost flooded. It took almost all the towels to clean up the mess. But Oliver couldn't stop the smile on his face that matched hers.
Together they made dinner, a simple spaghetti and salad. Oliver made a chocolate chip cookie dough while the sauced reduced. She kept trying to steal chips from the bag, without him seeing, but he would catch her and shove the chip in his own mouth. Oliver loved every moment, his chest ached from laughter and his heart soared.
After dinner, they took a bottle of wine and two glasses upstairs to the balcony. Oliver grabbed a light blanket and draped it over her legs. She laid back against him pulled his arm snug around her.
"Thank you for today, it's been amazing."
"I was going to say the same thing, Angel," Oliver whispered.
"Is that what you're sticking with? Angel?"
"I think it fits better than Flynn." Oliver smiled at her huff.
"I'm no Angel, Flynn," she sat up and looked at him. "I've done things I'm not proud of."
"I would never judge you for your past, if you won't condemn me for mine." Oliver was terrified that once she knew who he was, she wouldn't want to have anything to do with him.
"We have no past, we have now and the stars." She cupped his face, her thumb rubbing over his smooth cheek.
"You want the stars? I'll give you the stars."
"I don't need promises, I just need you."
Oliver pulled her close, his hands tangled in her hair, his lips brushed over her cheek.
"You might not be an Angel, but you are mine," Oliver felt her shiver in his arms.
"You are so cheesy," her voice breathless. She tugged his lip in between her teeth and sucked the plump lower lip until he groaned and shifted beneath her.
"Should we go inside?" Oliver asked against her lips.
She leaned back and looked around, the only light came from a single candle inside, the moon and the stars in the sky. She turned back to him and pulled her shirt, or his shirt since she had taken one of his, over her head. She stood up and pushed down her shorts and underwear. She placed her hands on her bare hips and smiled.
"I think right here is just fine. Unless you're cold."
Oliver stood up and quickly stripped down. He stepped toward her, his hands on her hips. His thumbs drew circles on her soft skin. Her hands went to his shoulders and pulled him closer. She was tiny, her head rested under his chin, his dick pressed against her stomach.
"Maybe you can warm me up." Oliver hummed.
She pushed up on her toes, her arms tighten around his shoulders. Her soft lips were warm, she brushed them gently and teased him with the tip of her tongue. His hands slid up her back, into her hair and he pressed her back against the iron rail. She jumped in his arm at the cold contact against her skin.
Oliver loved the way she responded to his touch, she made soft noises in the back of her throat that encouraged him to explore her body more. Kissing her and touching her only got better each time. He learned something new about her needs every time. He didn't think he could ever get enough of her, and he didn't want to.
Oliver skimmed a hand down her body, slipped his fingers between her legs. He found her wet heat, his fingers slid between her slit and he rubbed the bundle of nerve endings that caused her to open her legs wider and grip onto the rail. Oliver dragged his mouth down her neck, her back arched her chest heaved. He pushed a finger inside her, his thumb circled her clit and rubbed it back and forth. He inserted a second finger, pumped his hand faster. His swirled his tongue around a peaked nipple and sucked it into his mouth. He felt her stiffen and liquid heat flooded his hand. Oliver smirked against her skin and sucked harder. Her cries filled the quiet night. Her legs shook and her breathing was ragged. Her knuckles turned white around the rail.
Oliver drop to his knees, his fingers spread her ass apart and he licked her juices clean until she whimpered and shook. He was rock hard and satisfied, he would clean up, finish himself off quickly and fall asleep beside her. Or that's what he thought before she stood up, shoved him back and spun facing out toward the lake. She bent forward, looked over her shoulder at him.
"You didn't think we were done did you?"
Oliver licked his lips and moved toward the tight ass that was calling him.
"I am never going to be done with you."
"Show me," her voice quivered.
Oliver ran his hand over her back, he committed to memory the way her pale skin shined in the starlight. She didn't want promises, but Oliver was going to give her the stars, and he knew just how to do. He just needed time to make it.
She pushed her hips and wiggled against him and all thought left his mind. Only the need to touch her, to fill her up, and feel her warmth surround him. Oliver took hold of her hips, she pushed up on her toes and bent forward over the rail. He groaned as his dick slid between her wet core, with her everything was more intense. He tried to be gentle, to move slowly and let her get used to the position. He wiggled his hips pushed in deeper and she let out a hiss and a sigh. He pulled away slowly, his eyes closed at her tight grip on his dick. She surprised him by slamming her hips back into him, Oliver fingers pressed into her flesh, his legs shook with restraint.
"Don't hold back, I want you, I want this." Her breath hitched, her hips rolled.
"Fuck, Angel."
Oliver tightened his grip and he let go of his control. He surged his hips forward, thrust up into her heat. She pushed back, matched his fevered pace. She looked back at him, Oliver brushed hair from her face, he needed to see her eyes. She pushed up, twisting her shoulder to touch his chest. Oliver reached down and grabbed her left leg and lifted it up to spread her wide, his other hand on her hip. She wrapped an arm around his neck, holding on and gave him a chaste kiss. Oliver held most of her weight, he pistoned his hips and slammed into her. He watched her face as her eyes rolled back, she clenched tight on his dick.
Her leg shook against his arm. He knew she was close and he wouldn't last much longer. He dropped his hand between her legs and pressed down on her clit. She spasmed and shook, her loud moan echoed into the night. Oliver cried out, erupted and surrendered to her.
Oliver lowered her leg, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He took a shaky step back, her legs wobbled, but he wouldn't let her go. He felt his dick soften but he stayed inside her warmth, unable to let go. His dick slipped out when he sat on the lounge chair, he pulled her with him and tucked her head under his chin. She didn't talk, but she reached for the blanket at their feet. Oliver took slow, deep breaths to calm his racing heart and brushed his hand through her hair. She sighed in contentment and snuggled in closer to his warmth.
He had never been in love before; he had said the words, but never meant them or understood what they meant. But now every part of him knew that he was more than halfway in love with this woman. His need to hold her and to never let go only grew with each passing moment. He thought of her walking through the flowers towards him and he had known then he was a goner. He slipped the rose securely in his bag as a symbol of hope for them.
She wasn't ready for him to say what was in his heart. He was terrified that once he did that she would leave. That he had broken her rule and would lose her forever. He had never feared breaking a few rules before, but with her he could lose everything. But he also couldn't let her go without having a way to find her again.
"Stay with me. I want this, but I want it every day of my life." Oliver whispered the words into her hair.
He held his breath for her answer, and his heart sank when she didn't respond. He leaned back to look at her face, her eyes were closed her mouth slightly open. She let out a little puff of air. She was asleep. Oliver smiled and brushed a kiss to her forehead.
"Tomorrow. I'll tell you tomorrow."
Oliver pulled her closer and let his exhaustion take over.
The sun greeted him in the morning, and she was still sound asleep in his arms. Oliver gently got up and carried her inside, laid her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket. He wrote her a quick note and got to work on his plan. He just hoped she slept long enough for him to finish.
He had made a quick breakfast for himself and looked at the clock, seven. Without Raisa he never got up before ten, but he was too excited and needed the space to do it. He made her breakfast in hopes that it would delay her.
Oliver walked to the garage and went through the side door. He would need to keep the main doors closed because the sound of the grinder might wake her. Oliver had spent a lot of time rebuilding parts for the Bronco, welding and grinding pieces together. He was good at it. Before he'd met Angel he had gone and purchased sheet metal to see about fixing the gas gauge. While he'd been there, he had seen a four by four 1.33mm thick sterling silver sheets and for some reason decided to add it to his purchase. He had no idea what he would do with it until last night.
He wanted to give her a star so she could find her way back to him. He knew it was cheesy but he didn't care, he wouldn't break his promise of giving her the stars.
He had grabbed his hat to keep his hair out if his eyes and got to work. He traced out the shape he wanted, cut the sheet in four pieces, saving them in case he made a mistake. A simple four pointed silver star no bigger than a nickel sat in the palm of his hand. He couldn't believe he was doing this - making a necklace for the girl he liked. Tommy would laugh at him and tell him to just go buy something shiny. Oliver didn't understand why he needed to do it, to give her something so cheap but from his heart.
What if she hated it? Laughed at his offer? The voice in his head sounded a lot like his father. But the simple soft voice added I just need you. Even in a whisper, she drowned out his doubt.
He made three more and looked at the four stars in front of him. They weren't perfect, but he picked up the closest one and puffed the edges and punched a hole in the top. He was almost done when the side door opened. He pushed the stars away, pocketed the one he had just finished and ducked down.
"I can see your feet silly. What are you doing?"
"Playing a game, catch me if you can!"
Her laughter chased him through the garage into the main house. He ran into the mud room and back outside. She called out for Flynn, but Oliver didn't stop. He couldn't let her see until it was finished. He had the advantage of already knowing the property and the years of hide and seek with Tommy and Thea. Angel rushed past him without even knowing. Oliver ran back into the guest house shoved the star in his wallet and ran back to find her.
He waited until she turned the corner of the main house to grab her. He lifted her up off her feet and spun her around. She squealed and laughed in his arms.
"Don't do that, you scared me. I'm going to need to put a bell on you."
She swatted at his arm and then kissed his cheek.
"I missed waking up with you. But I loved the waffles. And coffee. How's your baby? Did you get her fixed? Does she have a name? She should have a name. How about Robin? Since you're Flynn."
Oliver smiled and kissed her. "Good morning. No changes on the Bronco, still not reading right. She wasn't a she until now. And yes, you can name her whatever you like."
"Maybe I can take a look at Robin. If you're okay with it?" she asked nervously.
"Whatever you want, but I do need to head to town today. I can take a cab if you want to stay here and work on Robin. Do you need anything while I'm out?"
"No, I'm good. But there is something," she bit her lip and looked away. "Umm we didn't use a condom last night. While we were on the balcony."
"Shit, you're right. I'm sorry. Should I check for a morning after pill?"
"No, no I have a depo shot. I'm good. Our judgment was a little impaired, but I thought you should know that I'm okay with it. With what happened and if it happened again. I'm okay with it."
"So just to be clear, are you saying no more condoms?"
Oliver wanted to rush her into the house, throw her on the bed and slip inside her right now. He had been so far gone last night that he hadn't truly appreciated the feel of her bare heat. But now he could take his time, melt into her and never let go.
"Yes, no more condoms. So take that off your shopping list. But add chocolate syrup and caramel sauce. I want a sundae for dessert. And maybe burgers for dinner. I want to try Transformers again tonight."
Oliver hugged her to his chest, soaked in her bubbly personality and hummed along with whatever she said. He hesitated to let go, but wanted to hurry back.
"I won't be gone long. Don't let Robin be the boss."
She laughed and saluted him. "Don't worry sir, I'll have her purring like a kitten before you know it."
"She's supposed to roar like a lion."
"Fine, fine a manly kitten."
Twenty minutes later, his taxi arrived and he stuck his head under the bronco to tell her goodbye. She waved him off muttering to Robin about men. Oliver laughed.
"One hour, two at the most."
"I'm having girl talk now, get out of here."
"Movie?"
"The sooner you leave, the faster you get back."
"Fine, don't miss me too much?"
"I can't miss you if you don't leave."
"Missing you already," Oliver called over his shoulder.
"Sap!"
Oliver laughed as he walked away lighter than he had ever felt in his entire life. Later he would tell her everything, beg her to break the rules and tell him everything. But now he needed to get to a jeweler to finish her necklace.
June 2012
For five years, Oliver had lived his life full of regret. He had kept his head above water, but the guilt dragged him down. Most days he was able to survive until the next, but it was getting harder to pretend that he was okay.
He knew that the engagement was a mistake. He knew that he gave away his heart a long time ago, and that no matter what he did no one could take her place. He had tried. He really wanted to try and make it work. But all it took was a box of pictures to send him off on another wild goose chase for another woman. He had never told Yvonne about his time in Tahoe or why the place meant so much to him. There was no way he could have hidden his broken heart.
Oliver looked at himself in the mirror and wondered what Angel would say to him. Probably to get his head out of his ass and tell Yvonne the truth. He should never have come to work today. His head wasn't in it and he sure as hell wasn't in the mood to have a conference call about business. His heart and his mind where in Tahoe and some new company from San Francisco wasn't going to distract him from his goal.
Diggle had given him a new idea to pursue and he thinks that it's the closest he has ever come to finding her. He just needed to finish this call and then start searching.
Oliver straightened his hair, unrolled his sleeves and put on his jacket and tie. He needed to be a Queen and get through the next hour, then he needed to call Yvonne and be honest with her about the kind of life he wanted to lead and who he had to be. He hated to hurt her, but he could no longer lie about what he wanted.
He stepped from the bathroom to find his two friends head down, looking through pages of printouts. They mumbled, too old, too young, not smart enough. Oliver had done one good thing in his life - he had the best of friends. Diggle lifted his head and looked at him.
"You know this would be a lot easier if you had a picture of this girl."
"I've been asking for years Dig. He's never shown me." Tommy added.
Oliver had never wanted to share her memory with anyone. He didn't even like to talk about it. But he knew they were right about that, that he had to show them who they were looking for. He took a deep sigh and walked to his desk. He opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the wooden box. He didn't know why he'd brought it with him today, but as he rushed from his house he had grabbed it without thought.
He opened the box and pulled out the picture of her laughing in his Bronco. They had run out of gas after she told him she fixed Robin. She had cursed Robin for lying to her and promised retribution. Oliver had started to laugh and soon she was joining him. He couldn't resist taking her picture. He loved her bright smile and the look in her eyes.
Tommy snatched the picture from Oliver's barely outstretched arm. Diggle crowded next to him.
"Wow," Diggle said
"Damn, Ollie. I figured she'd be hot, but damn."
"I can tell you everything that I do know about her, at least what will help. She had long blonde hair, she wore contacts or glasses depending on where she was going. She went to college back east, raised in a desert by a single mom. She can do almost anything with a computer. She is funny, sweet and brilliant."
"I have to ask," Digg looked at him. "If she's as smart as you say, why hasn't she come looking for you? You're Oliver Queen - people know who you are. Didn't you make a few eligible bachelor lists in the last five years?"
Oliver tried not to grab his friend and shake him, but it was hard. He fisted his hands and turned away. He didn't know the story.
"I was supposed to call her. She kissed me goodbye and said she left her contact information in my phone. I had no idea at the time that my phone was left in the restaurant where we had our last lunch. I went back and it was gone. I never found it. She probably thinks that I...," Oliver almost choked on the words. "That I didn't want her."
"Well that explains why you're always checking for your phone." Diggle shook his head.
"One lost phone cost me everything. I know it's a long shot. I know she has no reason to want to see me, but I've got to try."
"What about Yvonne and the wedding?" Tommy asked.
Oliver caressed the box before he opened it, he pulled out the other pictures.
"I'm going to call her after I get off the conference call. I know what I have to do."
The office door opened and his assistent stuck his head in.
"I have everything set up for you in the conference room. I set up the files you need as well."
"Thank you Roy, I'll be there in a minute."
"I still don't like that he is dating Thea," Tommy grumbled. "But it must be nice telling him what to do all the time."
"I pretend that I don't know what they are doing, it helps. Any luck on the buyer?"
"I have a lead, some upstart company from San Francisco. That's all I know right now but I only just started."
"Get me a name, an email or anything really. I won't lose that house."
"I'm on it, Buddy."
Oliver took the picture out of Tommy's hand and placed it in his inside coat pocket. His friends looked at him, gave him a quick smile and got back to work. He walked out of the office and sat at the conference table. A monitor was set up in front of him, Roy already made the connection and Oliver was looking into an empty chair. Behind the chair was a shelf of Autobot action figures still in their boxes. Oliver grimaced and turned his head away. Why did it have to be Transformers?
The chair moved and a hand came into view.
"I got this, Felicity. Don't worry. Oh.. Mr Queen!? I'm sorry to keep you waiting. My boss is dealing with a personal emergency and will not be able to join us, but I am more than happy to explain our product and our company."
"Call me Oliver. I have a few emergencies myself, so if we can speed this up, I'd appreciate it."
"Of course Mr Que-Oliver. Please call me Curtis."
A loud cry from another room interrupted Curtis.
"That's not going to happen!" a women cried out.
"I'm sorry, let me close the door."
Oliver shuffled his papers, and wondered what kind of day this Felicity was having if she was yelling. She sounded pissed.