A/N: Australian slang:
Fruit loop: Fool
Stickybeak: A nosy person
Click: A kilometre
It was still early when Laurel made her way to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Being a Saturday morning, she didn't have to rush anywhere and after her talk with Felicity, she'd had a surprisingly good night's sleep. Standing under the soothing spray of a hot shower, she'd decided to follow the other woman's advice and give Slade one last chance to prove that he had some redeeming qualities. Yet despite her resolution, his behaviour toward her the previous night still stung.
She knew she had to face him, but if she was honest with herself, she was delaying the inevitable. She didn't think she had the energy to fight another round. Deep down she knew she enjoyed their verbal skirmishes. What she didn't like was being mistreated when she didn't know why. The only person who could give her any answers couldn't or wouldn't – she wasn't sure which it was.
Standing at the kitchen counter in blue jeans and a red sweater, she took her mug and went to sit on the back porch. It wasn't as chilly as the previous day, but she grabbed a chequered throw on her way out, just in case. She loved the view of the garden and the turquoise water of the Olympic sized pool. It made her feel like she was at some expensive resort as opposed to a friend's home.
In the distance she heard the doorbell ring and was about to get up to see who it was when she heard the murmur of voices. Comfortable that Oliver was seeing to his early guest, she sat back and sipped her hot beverage contentedly.
"Laurel," came the voice that had been haunting her since she'd first heard it.
She whipped around, shocked to her core as she saw Slade standing at the door leading onto the patio. She stood slowly, her heart fluttering in her chest at the sight of him. He looked exhausted, like someone who hadn't slept at all. He hadn't bothered to shave either, because he had at least two days worth of stubble covering the lower part of his cheeks and jaw.
"You look awful-"
"About last night-"
They stared at each other awkwardly for another moment before Laurel noticed Oliver hovering in the background. Slade followed the direction of her gaze and looked at Oliver questioningly.
"Do you mind, mate? Some privacy would be welcome."
Laurel noted Oliver's curiosity. "I'll be in the study."
He walked off and they were completely alone.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.
He closed the door leading into the house and walked over to where she stood. He was dressed in black jeans and a black fleecy sweater. In short, he looked gorgeous.
"I was err…worried about you, so I went to your Dad's place-"
Her eyes bulged. "You went to my Dad's place? Are you insane?" Her father lived on the other side of Town. He could have been seen by a dozen different people.
"I wanted to know if you were okay. I know it was a stupid thing to do, but when I got there and you weren't there, I panicked."
She stared at him, not expecting the honesty.
He continued, "I called Oliver and he mentioned that you were here, so I came over."
He was standing in front of her, his hands fidgeting with the zipper on the front of his sweater.
She lifted the throw higher against her neck. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine."
He looked so uncertain, she almost took pity on him.
"I wanted to talk to you about last night." When she didn't say anything, he carried on, "I handled the entire situation badly. I'm sorry for being such a fruit loop."
He says the strangest things. Laurel could tell that it took a lot for him to apologise and she appreciated the gesture. But it wasn't as though she hadn't heard all it all before.
She sat down warily. "Slade, I know you're sorry. You're always sorry. But that doesn't stop it from happening over and over. I can't share my home with you when I'm walking around on egg shells, wondering what's going to set you off next."
A look of guilt flashed across his face. "I know." He sat down opposite her. "I've been thinking about what you said." When she looked at him curiously, he explained, "You were right about everything. I have been inconsiderate and mean and I should never have taken all my frustrations out on you." He seemed to be struggling for words, as though explaining himself was something he didn't do often.
Don't I know it.
"I'm not mad at you any-"
He held up a hand. "Let me finish. If I don't say this now, I may never." She gestured for him to continue. "I've been an agent since the time I left Uni. I was recruited straight out and it's been my life ever since. I loved the excitement of it, the physicality, the challenge. When the mission to Lian Yu came up, I didn't hesitate. It was what I'd been trained for and I wanted to go. We were supposed to be in and out in five days, tops. At least that was what we were told."
He had grabbed her coffee cup and fiddled with the handle, as if he needed something to distract him. Laurel listened intently, unable to believe that he was actually telling her something so personal.
"But that mission destroyed my life. I haven't been back home since. I haven't seen my family or any friends in almost a decade."
He was silent or a moment before he looked up and met her gaze. His eyes were filled with so much sadness it took all her resolve not to leap across the table and take him into her arms.
"I haven't seen my son." He said the words slowly, gauging her reaction.
"Son? You're married?" she whispered, horrified.
Her mind reeled at the implications. I kissed him! She was about to jump out of her chair when he grabbed her wrist in order to make her stay.
"I'm not married." She couldn't describe her relief at hearing those words. "I'm divorced. My ex and I share custody of Joe. Well, we did before all this happened."
Laurel couldn't believe he was a father. "How old is he?"
She saw the pride in his eyes. "Ten. We divorced when he was six months old and I left for Lian Yu just after he'd turned one."
She couldn't imagine how he must feel, torn from his child for so long without any contact whatsoever.
"Have you tried to get in touch with him since you've been with us?"
He shook his head. "I wouldn't know what to say. Besides, I'm a wanted man right now, Laurel. I have nothing to offer him. I can't drag him into this. If I tried to contact him, I'd be placing his life and the life of his mother at risk. I won't do that. No matter how badly I want to see him or just talk to him."
Her heart broke as she stared into his tormented face. He clearly loved the boy and until he was a free man again, he couldn't even be near his son. She felt her eyes well with tears.
"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice wobbling slightly.
He looked at her, gratitude visible in the depths of his eyes. "I know."
They just stared at one another and Laurel could feel the heat rising up her neck and into her cheeks. Butterflies were having a party in her stomach again. She wanted desperately to touch him, but she'd been around him long enough to know that even though he was opening up a little, that didn't mean he was comfortable with any physical overtures.
"Anyway," he said, breaking the spell around them. "My point was that spending so much time on my own has changed me. I doubt anyone I knew before all this happened would recognise me now. You were right though, I need to learn to interact with others in a way that doesn't alienate them." He gave her a small smile. "And for that, I'm asking for your help. Please come back home."
It didn't escape her notice that he'd risked everything to find her and apologise. She didn't know why he'd done it. After all, it wasn't as though she meant anything to him. But nonetheless, it meant more to her than he'd ever know. He'd also referred to her apartment as home. She wasn't sure how she felt about that either and she refused to analyse the warmth that spread though her at his mention of it.
He misinterpreted her contemplation as hesitation. "I know I'm asking a lot and you don't owe me anything. But…" He swallowed before lifting his head so their eyes could meet. "I don't want to be alone anymore," he said softly.
Unable to stop herself, Laurel grabbed the hand that was fidgeting with the mug and squeezed it tightly. She was surprised when he reciprocated, linking their fingers together. His palms felt rough and calloused against her soft, smooth skin. She quite liked the contrast.
"You're not alone, Slade. You never were." She smiled at him. "I have a confession to make."
"What?"
"I was planning on coming home before you arrived. If you hadn't stopped me from speaking earlier, I would have told you that."
She watched as a slow grin spread across his face and her heart thudded painfully against her chest.
"So, what you're saying is that if I wasn't such a control freak, I could have spared myself a long winded discussion about my dreaded feelings?" His voice was filled with amusement and she marvelled at the change in him.
She laughed, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. "You could have. But I'm kinda glad that you didn't."
He sobered. "So am I."
Felicity opened the door and poked her head through.
"Sorry to interrupt this little… flirty, flirt," she quipped in amusement as she eyed their intertwined fingers, "but breakfast is ready if anyone wants some?"
Laurel smiled self-consciously. "I'm starving," she said, looking over at Slade. "What about you?"
"Ravenous," he replied, the deep tone of his voice making her cheeks bloom. For some reason, she got the distinct impression that he wasn't talking about food.
Slade knew that he'd taken a huge gamble, essentially risking his freedom when he'd gone looking for Laurel at her father's place. But he'd felt so guilty about her leaving, knowing that it had been his fault, that he'd hurt her. In the end he hadn't been unable to stop himself.
He'd taken the necessary precautions by staying off the main roads and had been alarmed to discover that she wasn't where she'd said she'd be. His mind had conjured up a variety of different scenarios, all worse than the one before. So he'd done the only thing he could think of - he'd called Oliver and his friend had confirmed that Laurel had spent the night with them. His relief had known no bounds.
He knew Oliver was curious to know what was going on between them, but he didn't want to say anything until he had that figured out for himself. Besides, his main priority had been to ensure that he hadn't alienated her completely with his coarse behaviour.
After a few hours alone the previous night, he'd faced the fact that he liked Laurel. He liked her company and he liked the fact that she challenged him, not backing down when she didn't agree with his bullshit.
She also just so happened to be the only woman he'd found attractive in nine years. Just thinking about their steamy encounter the night before, made his blood boil. If he hadn't come to his senses, he didn't want to think about what could have happened. Not that he hadn't thought about it. He had. Over and over.
She was right. He had been taking his anger out on her, but not for the reasons she supposed. He hadn't known how to handle his growing attraction to her and the easiest way he could think of to push her away was to hurt her feelings. He wasn't proud of his tactics, specifically since they hadn't worked at all. If anything, pushing her away had only increased his fascination with her – the fact that he was at his friend's house practically begging her to give him another chance, was proof enough.
The curious looks Oliver and Felicity were giving him meant that they suspected that something was afoot. Until he knew what the something was, he was going to ignore them. After breakfast they sat in the study while Oliver brought them up to speed on some new developments.
"This morning Felicity managed to make her way through the veils, as she calls them," he said, placing his son on top of a play mat on the floor. The tyke was really cute and seeing him made Slade miss his son so much more.
Smiling at her husband from behind his large oak desk, Felicity opened her laptop. "What Oliver is trying to say, very ineffectively, is that I have some good news, Slade." She looked at him encouragingly.
He was sitting beside Laurel on a plush brown leather couch. "What is it?" he asked anxiously.
"I've got a name. The person who erased all the data on the Lian Yu mission is Alex Johnson. From the look on your face, I'm guessing that name rings a bell?"
Slade felt as though he'd been kicked in the stomach. "Yes. He was my handler on that retrieval op. We'd never worked together before, but my usual guy was on extended leave and Alex was asked to step in just before we left."
"Do you know of any reason why he'd erase all traces of the assignment?" Laurel asked.
He looked at her. "None. We weren't mates, but we got along. Prior to the mission, I'd seen him around, exchanged a few words. We were friendly."
"I took the liberty of looking into his background. The day after you were dropped onto the island, Johnston got a 400K payday," Felicity said, handing a page to Oliver, who in turn passed it on to Slade.
He stared down at a bank statement that was dated nine years earlier. "Why? I don't understand."
"You'll notice that that isn't a regular account, either. That kind of money would have raised flags at his local bank. That's an offshore account that was set up for him thirteen months prior to your abandonment. Chances are, he'd been recruited by a counter agency and been sabotaging operations ever since," Oliver added, sitting down on the floor beside the cooing baby.
"Wait a minute. Is this guy still alive?" Laurel asked sharply.
Felicity nodded. "Yes. He lives in Canberra. Retired apparently. But here's the kicker. He landed in the US three days after Slade escaped. That's no coincidence."
Slade jumped up. "Then if we get hold of him and get him to confess, my name will be cleared."
Laurel shook her head. "We'd have to be able to prove it as well. Because of the nature of your detainment, the word of some ex-agent who used to work for the ASIS won't mean a thing if there isn't sufficient evidence to back up his statement. That's assuming he makes it easy for us and talks. Best case scenario, he confesses on record."
The longer he thought about it, the more pissed off he became. That unassuming agent had ruined his life and he had almost gotten away with it. The very thought made want to punch something.
Laurel, as though sensing his outrage, turned her green eyes in his direction. "He won't get away with this," she vowed. He wanted to believe her.
"What do we do now?" he asked, barely controlling the anger in his voice.
"We find him and we see what he's willing to tell." Oliver said calmly, as though he did that sort of thing every day.
"Even all your money won't get you near him, mate," Slade scoffed. "They think I'm in contact with you, remember?"
"We'll find a way."
"I think I may have an idea," Laurel said.
"Oh I do love it when a woman comes up with the winning suggestion," Felicity joked.
Laurel smiled at her. "What if I engage him?"
"NO!" Slade exclaimed automatically, glaring at her. There was no way he was letting her anywhere near that traitor.
She frowned at him, getting to her feet. "I don't recall asking for your permission."
"I forbid it!" he said dangerously, afraid for her safety.
Clearly the word got her hackles rising. "Forbid?" she repeated with ire, her eyes flashing at him.
He stepped closer to her. "I will not have you put your safety in danger by getting close to that man."
"I'm a lawyer and generally someone of low importance, Slade. No one will bat an eyelid if bump into him casually. Besides, I've questioned hundreds of guilty people on the stand. I know how to get results!"
He shook his head, refusing to listen. "He's dangerous and well trained. He'd spot a stickybeak from 10 clicks away!"
Laurel rolled her eyes at him. "Would you speak in English?!"
The baby started fussing and Slade realised that they were practically yelling at one another. Turning slightly he saw Oliver pick up the boy and hand him to Felicity.
He cursed. "Sorry guys. We didn't mean-"
"No worries," Felicity assured him with a smile. "I'm always saying that it's good for him to be exposed to all levels of…noise."
"Laurel," Oliver said, stepping forward, "I'm not comfortable with the idea either. If he realises that you know something, he could get you out of there so fast, we might never see you again."
Slade nodded in satisfaction. Maybe that would make the stubborn woman see reason.
"Personally, I think Laurel is the perfect option," Felicity added from behind the desk. She was swaying gently, the baby starting to drift off to sleep.
"Thank you!" Laurel said, smiling at the other woman in gratitude.
Then looking back at Slade, the two of them missed the unspoken communication between the married couple. They had a plan which they'd already set in motion.
"You shouldn't be encouraging her to walk into a potentially treacherous situation," Oliver said, convincingly.
"I'm not! If Laurel hadn't suggested it, I wouldn't have said anything," she defended, equally convincing. "But the truth is, men say and do stupid things around women."
Slade realised that she was looking pointedly at him and he couldn't help feeling like she knew a lot more than he'd first thought she did.
"All I'm saying is, with the proper precautions taken, Laurel could yield some good results. Even if it means just luring him to a place where you guys can have at him."
Slade hated to admit that she had a point. "I still don't like it," he said.
"Oh, get over yourself," Laurel muttered in annoyance and he felt the distinct urge to laugh. No one else would dare say something like that to him.
"Alright," he amended. "But only if we can guarantee Laurel's safety." He looked at Oliver.
"Done," his friend said confidently. "He won't know Dig either. We can make sure he tails them closely."
"How soon can we get this show on the road?" Laurel asked.
Oliver looked at Felicity. "Three days? I want to do some recon first. Make sure we put a solid plan together."
Laurel nodded and looked at Slade. "In the meantime, you can give me some hints and tips? You know the guy – well, you know a lot more than the rest of us."
He'd tell her everything he could remember. Her life depended on it. "Sounds good."
A few minutes later he climbed into the passenger seat of her Ford Fiesta as they departed the Queen's home.
The drive to her apartment was silent, both of them lost in their own thoughts. If everything went according to plan, he could be heading back home in less than a weeks time. While the desire to see his son was as strong as ever, he couldn't quite think of anything else that made the prospect of going back an exciting one.
He looked at the woman behind the wheel and wondered if he'd never met her, if he'd still feel the same.
As they parked in the basement, Laurel switched off the engine but neither made a move to get out.
"Promise me that you'll be careful," he said solemnly.
She looked at him and smiled teasingly. "It's one way for you to get rid of me."
He grabbed her hand, completely serious. "I'm not joking, Laurel. Promise me!"
She sobered immediately. "I promise."
He nodded and looked down at her hand. Without another word, her lifted it and kissed her palm softly, lingeringly. He didn't question why he did it, just accepted that he wanted to.
Only then did he get out of the car.
