Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow nor do I own any of its characters the only characters that I do own is the characters that I created for this story. Please R&R.
Chapter 8
Oliver phone started to vibrate while he was driving his motorcycle.
"Hello?" he answers.
"Hi," Thea said. "Mom said I'm supposed to remind you that you and Layla are having lunch with her."
"Was I supposed to have lunch with them today?"
"She said she left you like 5 messages, your wife even called. Just bite the bullet and have a Cobb salad with the woman."
"You know, Thea, sometimes it's difficult to remember which one of you is my mother," Oliver said jokingly. As he pulls up to Queen consolidated. He sees Layla and Moira walking towards him.
"Mrs. Queen, all I'm asking for is a chance to sit down and discuss our proposal," a man ask.
"Hmm? If that's all it is, then I can save us both the time. It's rejected," Moira said.
"I see. May I ask why?"
"Do I really need to answer that, Mr. Copani? Now, if you'll excuse me, my daughter in law and I are having lunch with my son," suddenly they can hear tires squeal.
"Get down!" Oliver yells and Layla automatically pushes Moira down covering her with her own body. Oliver runs over to them.
"Mom? Layla? Are you okay?"
"I'm all right."
"Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine…"
"Are you sure?"
"Oliver," Layla said. "Were fine, go." With that Oliver took off running. When the ambulance came it took both Moira and Layla away. It was when they got there, they were able to receive some CAT-Scans. By the time, Oliver made it to the hospital. Layla was resting in the bed while Moira and Thea sat in the chair next to her.
"Hi. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Layla said. "I'm fine."
"As I was telling your wife, mother and sister, the CAT-Scan showed a grade two concussion. She can go home so long as someone stays with her just to make sure there are no after effects," the doctor said.
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you," he said. "I thought you were fine."
"I gave you the okay," Layla said.
"What did you think you were doing anyway?"
Yeah, I wanted to get the license plate of the guy who took a shot at you," Oliver said.
"Well, that was foolish," Moira said.
"Yeah," Oliver hug his mother then Layla before stepping outside Thea followed him out.
"So, did you get the license plate?"
"No. He got away," he said.
"Maybe you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero. You're obviously not very good at it," Thea said.
"That's cute."
"I wasn't trying to be. You left them on the street, alone and hurt. In the street. To get a license plate?"
"You don't believe me?"
"I love you. Mom loves you. I don't even know why Layla loves you. But it's getting hard when you won't be truthful with us," Thea goes in the room to join Moira and Layla.
Layla saw Oliver look in the room once more then walk down the hall.
"Is everything okay, Thea?"
"Everything is fine," she said.
"Good Moira, I hope you don't mind us staying with you tonight?" she asks. "I think that I would be good for everyone if we were under one roof after what happen. Just to play it on the safe side."
"Of course,"
"And maybe we could have that dinner together," Layla smile.
"Sure, I know that Robby misses you," she said.
When they got back to the Queen Manor, Moira watch Robby while Thea help Layla into Oliver's room. Thea was sitting on the foot of the bed sighing.
"Okay, out with it," Layla said. "You obviously have something that's on your mind that you want to say so what is it."
"It's just that you know that he's lying right," she said. "I mean that what person in their right mind believes that they can catch up to a motorcycle. He left you and mom right there on the street."
"I know," Layla said.
"Are you sure? Because right now it seems like everyone is giving him a free pass just because he came back."
"Oliver… He changed when he was one that island. I don't know if it was really for better or worse, but I'm stuck with him for it. So how about this, you call your friends and go to whatever club you want. I'll be fine I have a house full of people that can look after me. As long as you promise me two things."
"And what's that?"
"Be patient with Oliver, and don't get arrested. We Queens only need one person to have a record of drunk and disorderly," she said, and Thea started to laugh.
"Okay, I'll call them up now," the walk out of her room and started to get dress. When she went and found a dress that she was going to wear after looking at ten. Then she went to downstairs, but Oliver caught her before she leaves the house.
"Speedy. Where are you going?"
"Clubbing. Which is difficult to do when you're in a house and not in an actual club."
"I have to go out tonight. I thought you'd be watching Layla," he said.
"I spent the whole day with her. I thought you were taking the night shift."
"I'm sorry, but this thing, it's important."
"Layla said I should go out," she said. "Plus, mom and Robby here I don't think that anything would really happen," Thea left the house, at the same time Tommy came into the house.
"Hey, I heard about Layla. Is she all right?" Tommy asks.
"Well, she's resting upstairs. More shaken up than anything," Oliver said. "I got to run to this business thing, but I do appreciate you stopping by."
"It's no problem. Just so long as your she's all right."
"Yeah."
"Hey, one more thing. Mainly because I don't want you to find this out from someone else, that someone else especially being Laurel," Tommy said. "We're going to dinner. As in a date."
"That's... that's good. Laurel deserves someone special, and so do you."
"Thanks, man."
"I gotta run to this thing."
"All right."
"Absolutely."
"I'll catch you later."
"Oh, and, Tommy, if you hurt her, I'll snap your neck. I'm just kidding," Oliver left the manor and Tommy went upstairs to Layla's room. She was readying a book. Tommy knows on the door. She looks up.
"Tommy, what are you doing here?"
"I heard what happen I hope you don't mind me coming over to check on you," he said.
"No, that's fine I just a little surprise," she said. "You didn't have to worry I'm fine."
"That's good," he said.
"Out with it," she said. "I feel like you and Thea sometimes act the same. Your hiding something what is it?"
"I'm started to date Laurel," he said.
"That's nothing new"
"As in for real this time," he said. "I want it to work out between us. I just wanted to tell you first."
"Tommy we're friends. Yes, something happens in the past, but that's just it," she said. "It's in the past and if Laurel is the one that makes you happy then go for it."
"Thanks," Tommy walks to the door.
"Tommy," he looks back at her. "If she breaks your heart no one is going to find her body."
"Not funny, Layla," he said then walk out of the door.
"Not kidding," Layla got out of the bed and went and put one some workout clothes. She walks to Robby room where he was hanging out with Moira playing with all his toys.
"Moira," she said. "I'm going to go out for a run."
"The doctors said you should rest and who know the shooter was actual going after you or not"
"The police said that they weren't so it okay," she said. "I just need to go out for a jogged and if something happens, I'll take cab back. Just look after Robby."
"Fine," Layla left and went over to Oliver's motorcycle. She got on it and drove all the way to the Glades. She opens what will be Oliver's night club and went to park the bike inside. She went down stairs and as she reaches the bottom step she sees Dig at the computers.
"Layla aren't you supposed to be in bed," he asks.
"Yes, but this is way more relaxing to me," Layla started to hit on the punching bags. Suddenly, Dig notice something and called Oliver. A few minutes later, Oliver called him back.
"What happened?"
"Yeah, it's what's about to happen. Bertinelli's enforcer Nick Salvati…"
"Yeah. We drank a scotch together. He seems like a real stand-up mobster."
"Yeah, well, he's been paying visits to everyone who owes the mob protection money."
"Diggle, I'm trying to figure out who took a shot at my wife, not take on all of organized crime," Oliver said, and Layla starts to blush trying to hide what she just heard.
"Well, listen, Oliver, Salvati and his goons have already put 4 people in the hospital tonight, and if somebody doesn't stop them, the poor bastard who owns Russo's is gonna be next."
"Wait, wait. Russo's?"
"It's at the corner of Adams and…"
"I know where it is, Diggle. I'm here right now."
"What?"
"I was having dinner with Bertinelli's daughter," Oliver then just heard a crash in the back ground.
"Oliver, you're supposed to be going undercover, not speed dating."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Yeah, well, uh, I've seen her on the web. You made quite the sacrifice," there was another crash.
"Who's there with you?"
"Layla…" Oliver didn't say anything for a moment.
"Salvati's here."
Layla went and sat down at the mat before taking in a few deep breaths.
"Layla, I don't think that he's…"
"Don't John… the more you try to make up excuse for him the more I want to shoot an arrow into his pretty little face." Oliver soon came in.
"Layla, you're supposed to be at home," Oliver said.
"So, you can go out and date whoever you wanted," Layla said.
"I didn't have a choice," he said.
"Of course, you did," she said. "All you had to do was pretend you were going out with her for her father then go and say something came up. Do you even understand what you were doing if someone took a picture of the two of you, and Robby saw it?"
"It was just dinner"
"Do you like her? Are you falling for her?"
"No," he said. Layla took a step back.
"I've never thought that you would lie to me," she said before walking off and leaving.
The next day, at the Merlyn manor there were two guys fencing. Then Tommy comes up to them.
"Can I talk to you? Dad!"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little occupied at the moment," Malcolm said as he took off his helmet.
"I just talked to the accountant. He said my accounts were frozen. He said my credit cards were all canceled."
"I pay Sandy a king's ransom each year in fees, Tommy. When it comes to money, if he says it's so, it's so."
"Do you think this is a joke?"
"No. You are. Although I must say, your chronic irresponsibility and terminal laziness has lost its humor. Hmm. You're wondering why now. The better question is, why not sooner?"
"It's... It's my trust fund."
"Which is comprised of my money. Oh, excuse me. Was comprised.
A bit later, at Layla house there was a knock on her door she answers it and saw Tommy.
"Hey, can I come in?" Layla step aside and Tommy walk into the living room and sat down on the couch.
"Is everything okay?"
"My dad cut me off, my checking account, my savings, my brokerage account and my stock portfolio. He cut me off completely."
"What?"
"My car got repossessed. Oh, and I have to move out of my apartment by the end of the month."
"No, you don't," she said. "I didn't think that I would ever have to give you this?"
"I'm not going to borrow money from you Layla," he said.
"Good because you're not going to," she went into her side table dresser and pulled out a check book and inside that check book was a debit card. "This is yours," she said.
"Layla, I'm not…"
"Just listen," she said. "When we were ten, I ask you and Oliver for twenty dollars, because I said my dad took my credit card and the both of you gave me a hundred."
"I barely remember that," he said.
"Well the way you and Oliver spend your money back then I thought that by the time that you two got older. You guys were going to spend through your trust. Truthfully, I thought that it was going to be Oliver. So, I made an account for the both of you with my mom's help." She handed him the card. "It's grown quite a bit," she said. "And you don't have to worry about it being close the only person that can do that beside myself is Robby and he doesn't know how to write cursive just yet." Tommy hugs her.
"Thank you, Layla"
