Oliver

The autumnal breeze washes over me through the open window, the early morning sun drenching us in a peaceful haze as we sit poised in the car outside Connors school watching the crowds pour in. Felicity's hand finds its way to my thigh, squeezing gently, giving me the strength I need to exit the car. As I open the door I take one look back to the beautiful woman beside me in the hope she will relent and follow me to the gates. Felicity shakes her head softly "No. You need to do this alone Oliver"

I know she's right, I need to do this by myself, but there's some small part of me that wants her, needs her next to me. Gently rubbing my knuckles with her silken fingers she offers me her most enigmatic smile "I'll be at Jitters"

I nod, lifting her hand to my lips and brushing a small kiss on the back of her hand as she opens her side of the car. I'm about to speak when a young boy walks past my window. I drop Felicity's fingers from my grasp, recognising him immediately from his photograph and feel my breath catch in my throat at the sight of him. Connor. I swallow past the lump that hlas now formed in my throat and push aside the anxiety that bubbles in my chest as I watch Sandra walk him to the gates, waving to him as he breaches the boundary of the school grounds. I wonder to myself how she can afford to send him to such a prestigious school but this thought is quickly swamped by the renewed anger I feel about being kept from being in his life. I inhale deeply, dampening my rage, remembering the words that Felicity spoke to me last night. This is not about you it's about Connor. With her words close to my heart I leave the car, glimpsing back and taking stock of her feminine curves as she disappears around the corner of the block.

I watch with intrigue as my Son nudges a girl to his right and takes her books from her grasp. They seem to be laughing and sharing a joke as they make their way into the school. I smile with what I feel is a sense of pride at the scene playing out In front of me, before my attention is drawn to an approaching Sandra. When her gaze meets mine and she recognises me, a look of panic shrouds her features as she stutters and tries to make her escape. I grab her wrist, careful not to hurt her as my eyes plead with her to stay. Her eyes flick between mine and the place where moments ago Connor had been standing and I can tell she's trying to figure out if I've seen him.

"I know" I whisper, trying to sound calm and reassuring but by the way she reacts I know I have failed. Looking around to make sure we don't have an audience she whips her hand away and heads towards her 4x4. I follow after her, my heart racing with anxiety and fear, my mouth is dry and my body tenses as I reach out for her once again. My hand connects with her arm and I pull her to face me, she stumbles and her back collides with the cold steel of the car behind her.

"Sandra" I Plea "I just want to talk"

I watch as she visibly swallows, her breathing shallow as she looks around me, scouting the area. I gently release her, turning around to check that the area is secure before turning back to her "Who are you hiding from?" I ask and she eyes me with a look of surprise and fear " You're looking for someone,. You're afraid, and it's not of me so you must be hiding from someone" I offer as way of an explanation. She nods her head, clutching her Prada handbag tightly to her chest in a way of comfort.

"There's a coffee shop around the corner. Jitters?" she suggests, fumbling with her keys. I take them from her and point in the direction of my rental car

"I'll drive" I tell her, my hand still wavering at her lower back. She doesn't mind the way I am protectively escorting her to the safety of my car, It's easy to see why as she keeps searching the area, constantly looking over her shoulder as though she is expecting someone to be there. "It's okay" I reassure her as she climbs into the passenger seat. She offers me a smile all the while trying to control her composure.

When the engine roars to life I reverse a little before pulling out from the Kerb. Keeping one eye on the traffic in front, my other flicks back and forth to the restless woman beside me and the way her keys jangle on her lap to the beat of her tapping foot. As we pull up to the set of lights at the end of the road she speaks two words that leave me dumbstruck;

"I'm sorry"


I hold the door open and smile nervously at Sandra as she dips under my arm and over the threshold to Jitters. My nerves instantly subside the minute I see Felicity stood at the end of the counter talking to Iris, and I am soothed by the room brightening smile that she sends in my direction. When I reach the counter, She covertly touches my hand with hers, squeezing it gently in a sign of support and I squeeze in return. While Sandra is giving Iris her order my gaze drifts to Felicity who is still gripping my hand in a sign of support and she shakes her head, telling me now is not the time to introduce them, so instead I pay for our coffees and direct Sandra to the nearest available table. I hang my brown leather jacket over the back of the chair and chance a look back towards Felicity, I can't quantify how much I need her right now, she is an endless supply of love and support that I thought I would never be lucky enough to be on the receiving end of.

There is a comfortable silence as we both acclimatise ourselves to the temperatures of our drinks. I watch curiously as Sandra still seems to scouting her surroundings, turning her head every time the main door opens and closes. I want to talk about Connor, but her behaviour concerns me and I feel it needs to be addressed. If she's in trouble then Connor could also be at risk. I raise my gaze to hers to speak and ask her who she's hiding from. Sandra leans across the table a little and with her voice kept low she begins to fill me in.

"Earlier this week I was suspended from work. There was security breach of our IT Systems, records were hacked and my account details seem to be the ones used to do it, but I swear It wasn't me" She explained, a finger tracing the rim of her cup, before taking another look around. "Ever since my suspension, I think I've been followed, a man in a dark suit, drives a black tinted SUV"

I try to hide my guilt that Sandra is being targeted because of something that I've done and I know in an instant I have to put it right. "If he wanted to approach you or hurt you, I'm sure he would have done it by now" I try to reassure her "I've got some good security on my payroll, I'll make sure you and Connor get a bodyguard just until I can get this sorted."

Sandra looks at me suspiciously before pushing back in her chair "Sorry Oliver but how are you going to sort this out? I mean no disrespect but last time I checked you were living the high life off Mummy and Daddy's credit card"

"I'm not the same person I used to be Sandra, I've seen things, I've done things" I take a pause, reeling myself back in before I've said too much. I actually find myself asking what Felicity would do right now and without a doubt I know she would tell me to be honest with Sandra so I try…as much as I can "Look Sandra, I know who hacked into your company, I Help the Arrow sometimes with certain things, you know information. The Company you work, you worked for..well their subsidiary in Starling are tied up in some really bad things. So please just with this ..Please just trust me"

Sandra, with her eyes wide considers what I've said. It's as though she is trying to read me and decide whether or not she can. She nods inconspicuously before looking over my shoulder and then leaning in again as she whispers.

"Do you know that woman over there? she keeps looking at us"

I follow her line of sight to a fumbling Felicity who quickly looks away and drains the rest of her, what I hope is decaffeinated, coffee. I smile and find myself resting my hand over Sandra's in an act of comfort. "Yes, that's Felicity, she's not a threat. Not unless you give her a computer anyway" I quip trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"You two serious?"

I'm a little taken aback by her question, and insulted. Felicity is clearly pregnant and the insinuation I wouldn't take that seriously is extremely hurtful, but I then remember Sandra knows Ollie and not Oliver and so I brush my hurt aside and try to answer her in the most sincere way possible

"Yes. She's my.." I pause…Girlfriend doesn't cover it, and she's not my fiancé yet technically anyway so I answer truthfully "She's Everything."

"Wow, I have to admit it I'm surprised. I mean I'm pleased for you, I.. it's just" Sandra's sentence peters off and I know what she's thinking. The Oliver she knew back then hadn't exactly been a stand up guy.

"I would have stuck around" I quickly interrupt, before finishing it off with "If I'd been given the chance"

Sandra raises the corner of her mouth in a half smile, both of us still skirting around the subject at hand and I can't take it anymore I need to know so I press her further

"Why did you tell me you had, that he'd, that we'd lost him?"

"I'm so sorry, I was forced into a corner, She told me to get it rid of it, Paid me…so I went and I just, I just couldn't go through with it"

"Sorry? Someone paid you to get rid of our child?" I ask in sheer disbelief. Sandra nods ashamedly as she wipes away a stray tear from her cheek.

"Who, who paid you?" I press, needing to know the truth. Sandra doesn't respond not at first, it's as though she searching for the words and when she finally finds them they are like a blow to the gut

"Your Mother"