Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN1: THANK YOU SO MUCH TO Mocking_point who has helped me more than I can put into words.
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About five minutes after she left the docks Laurel is standing on a rooftop that has the best view of everything around the docks and as she searches the darkness Laurel finally sees what she has been looking for, a flash of green, and the second she sees Laurel stars running and jumps between rooftops and runs along connections until she gets to the rooftop from one side just as The Hood, Oliver, walks on from the other.
"You again." Oliver says as he sees Laurel, though honestly he is glad to see the woman as it might just give him some insight into who she is.
"What, no thanks for saving your ass back there?" Laurel asks, already finding herself becoming annoyed with The Hood.
"I didn't need you to save me." Oliver says, honestly being rather insulted by that.
"Sure you didn't." Laurel says with a smirk.
"Why did you go after Somers? That's not your MO." Oliver comments.
"I heard about the hit he ordered tonight." Laurel, as the Woman in Black says.
"What does that have to do with you?" Oliver asks, thinking that if this woman has some connection to Laurel then that should help him figure out who she is.
"Laurel Lance does a lot for this community, this is the least I could do for her." Laurel says, it being extremely odd to refer to herself in the third person, "Which is more than I can say for you. You're just killing people." Laurel says angrily.
"That's how I'm making things better, these people deserve to die." Oliver comments, "Can you honestly say that you have never killed anyone in the last six months?"
"Yes, I can." Laurel says as she has been sure to make sure of that.
"Then you have more control than I have." Oliver comments, slightly impressed with that.
"That, is obvious." Laurel comments, "This is my city and I will not let you keep killing people in my neighbourhood." Laurel reveals, taking a step forward, "Stay out of the Glades." Laurel says in a warning tone of voice.
"Are you going to make me?" Oliver asks, a little amused by idea.
"Yes, this is your one warning." Laurel informs him.
"Who are you behind that mask?" Oliver asks curious, being pretty sure that she won't answer but thinking that what she says will give him some clue.
"Who are you under that hood?" Laurel counters and then before either of them can say anything a siren goes off so without another word they both go running in different directions, both planning on following the other at some point, but not tonight as it is too much of a risk.
Over an hour after her conversation with The Hood Laurel, now dressed in jeans, and her riding gear with her WIB bag, is knocking on the door to Ted's apartment.
As Ted opens the door to his apartment Laurel can see that he is relieved to see her in one piece, even though he attempts to hide it, and without a word Ted steps aside and let's Laurel into the apartment.
"Oh, thank god." Thea says relieved as she gets up from the couch she was sitting on and runs over to Laurel and hugs her.
"I'm okay." Laurel responds.
"is Somers on his way to jail?" Ted asks.
"He should be, but it's not thanks to me." Laurel explains.
"The Hood?" Ted asks as that would make sense.
"Yeah, I saved his ass and then he left me to deal with Somers men while he went after Somers, put a few arrows in him." Laurel says angrily, "And then we both fought China White." Laurel explains to Ted and Thea as the three of them sit down on the couch, "Yes, that China White." She adds, looking at Ted as he would know who she is talking about.
"Wait, you fought the leader of the Triad? Are you okay?" Ted asks concerned as he knows how dangerous that would have been.
"Yeah, the fight didn't last long, police came so we went in three different directions." Laurel explains, "A little while after The Hood and I met up we had a little talk."
"How'd that go?" Thea asks curious.
"I told him to stay out of the Glades." Laurel comments.
"Good, we don't need someone like him." Ted says, completely meaning that.
"That we don't." Laurel confirms, "Thank you." She says to Ted.
"No need." Ted responds, "And you're both staying here tonight. I've already got my spare bedroom ready."
"Thank Ted." Laurel and Thea say together and once more he just shrugs them off.
"So, what did you and The Hood tag teaming against the head of the Triad look like?" Thea asks curious and Laurel starts to explain everything that happened.
About forty-five minutes later Thea has headed to bed, but Laurel and Ted are still up, walking over to his friend, Ted sits down next to her as he hands her a drink.
"So, you were with Oliver when you were visited by the triad." Ted comments a few seconds later.
"I was waiting for you to mention that." Laurel comments, a hint of amusement to her voice.
"Wasn't it just yesterday that you were breaking stuff in my gym because of him?" Ted asks curious.
"Ted." Laurel says in an annoyed tone.
"I'm just saying, how does get Oliver get you to go from breaking stuff to sharing ice cream in your apartment?" Ted asks curious and Laurel just gives him an 'How do you know that?' "Thea mentioned what you were doing when the Triad paid their visits. How does he achieve that and how do I learn the skill?"
"I need new friends." Laurel mutters a she takes a drink.
"Yeah? And between your day job, your night job, everything extra you do for CNRI and looking after Thea how exactly are you going to manage that?" Ted asks curious, "Let's face it, D, you're good at a lot of things, having a social life isn't one of them." He comments.
"I hate you." Laurel mutters with a pout.
"No you don't." Ted responds with a grin, knowing that Laurel is just teasing as he puts his arm around his friends' shoulder in a brotherly way, as the two of them drift into silence.
"I saw a look in his eyes tonight, he's not going to stop until he finishes whatever it is that he thinks he's doing." Laurel reveals, breaking the silence after a few, "I think he believes that he is doing the right thing, and in some ways he is, but the bodies he's leaving in the process isn't okay."
"No, it's not." Ted confirms, "You're going to try and stop him from leaving too many bodies, aren't you?"
"I'm going to try, but I don't think I'll be enough." Laurel admits, and then taking a deep breath as she knows that they are getting into sensitive territory, "Do you ever miss it?" Laurel asks as she knows about Ted's own history of being a vigilante, and she knows a few details about why he stopped, but not everything.
"I can't help you, D, I still don't trust myself." Ted tells is best friend, "But I do trust you, and I know that with your stubbornness you have a chance of getting him to stop doing things the way he is."
"How do you have so much faith in me?" Laurel asks her best friend curious.
"You're my best friend, that's how." Ted comments.
"And you're mine." Laurel says as she tries to keep a yawn in.
"How much sleep you working on?" Ted asks curious. `
"I don't even know anymore." Laurel reveals.
"Go get some sleep." Ted says, "I'll wake you with coffee in the morning."
"My hero." Laurel says with a grin, "Night T." she says, placing a kiss on her best friend's cheek.
"Night D." Ted responds and Laurel heads to Ted's spare room, a place she has slept in before while Ted double checks to make sure all doors and windows are locked before he heads to his own room.
The following afternoon, after witnessing Oliver's speech in front of the new Queen applied sciences building a few hours earlier, where he said all the right things to make the board see that he wouldn't be a good choice to do anything in the company, something which had the added bonus of pushing anyone who cares about away, Laurel has headed to the Queen Mansion and she gets there just in time to hear the end of Oliver's discussion with Walter.
"Nice speech." Laurel says as she walks in the room as Walter leaves.
"Thanks, just took your advice I showed them the person I want them to see me as." Oliver reveals.
"No you didn't." Laurel says as walks over to Oliver.
"What do you mean?" Oliver asks, realising that he should have realised Laurel would see through the act.
"I've known you for most of my life Oliver, and while that speech was an amazing effort to piss everyone off and keep Thea, and your friends at arm's length, I could tell. I could see that it was an effort, so when you're done keeping secrets, and when you're done trying to push everyone away that's when you should show up at my place with ice cream." Laurel tells Oliver and she walks away, "Oh, and Rocky Road." She informs him as she walks out of the room, as he watches her go Oliver has to admit that it is going to be harder to keep his secret when Laurel knows him so well, but he has to try.
Even though it is a long trip Laurel heads out to Ted's, having sent her a message to Thea on her way to tell her to meet her.
"Well, well, well if it isn't my favourite client." Ted says as she walks into the gym, "Are you here to break more of my things?"
"Not today." Laurel says with a grin, "I was thinking that it's been a while since I've been in the ring with my best friend, you interested?" she asks curious.
"Always." Ted responds, "Weapons or no weapons today?" he asks curious.
"Let's do both." Laurel responds.
"Done, meet you in the ring in five." Ted says, as they both have to get changed, and Laurel nods, once she does the two of them go in their separate directions.
While Laurel has gone to Ted's after their conversation Oliver has gone to the foundry. After what happened a couple of days ago Oliver knows that he can't keep his research on, or look into, the Woman in Back at home anymore, so instead he has taken all his research to the foundry and is putting all of it on one of his spare tables so that he can look at it objectively.
"I'll find you, I'll figure you out." Oliver says to the police sketch of the Woman in Black
An hour after she got her message from Laurel about meeting at Ted's Ted, along with Roy and Sin walk into the gym where they find Laurel and Ted sparing.
"Okay, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that that looks like foreplay." Sin comments.
"Gross." Thea comment as Roy just laughs.
"You know, I think Laurel and Ted are just friends; that's it." Roy comments.
"Do you really think so?" Sin asks, sounding surprised because to her it seems like they are more.
"Yeah, I do."
"Okay, can we stop talking about my guardian's love life." Thea requests.
"Come on, you have to have an opinion." Sin says, wanting Thea to agree with her.
"I'm agree with Roy." Thea comments to the annoyance of Sin, "I don't think either of them see each other that way."
"Yeah?" Sin asks curious.
"Yeah." Thea confirms.
"Huh." Sin says as the three of them drift into silence while they watch Laurel and Ted fight one another.
For the next half an hour Thea, Roy and Sin just watch Laurel and Ted. As they watch it is clear that both Laurel and Ted are enjoying every second of the fight.
"Are either you keeping count on how many times they've knocked each other on their asses?" Roy asks Thea and Sin curious.
"Nope." Thea and Sin say together.
"We really should keep count of those things." Thea realises.
"Yep." Sin and Roy say together.
"Think they're going to stop anytime soon?" Thea asks curious as she knows what she thinks, but is curious about what Roy and Sin think.
"Nope." Sin and Roy say together.
"Well, I'm getting hungry so I'm going to put an end to this." Thea says before jumping down from the mats that she, Thea and Sin are sitting on and walking over to the ring.
"Hey, you two." Thea calls just as Laurel knocks Ted onto the ground, "As fun as it is to watch you two pound on each other we're getting hungry. So, do you to plan on stopping anytime soon?" Thea asks curious.
At Thea's question both Laurel and Ted look at each other.
"One more round?" Laurel asks.
"Sure, D, if you think you're up for it." Ted says with a smirk.
"You're forgetting Ted, you're older than me, you sure you have the stamina to keep up?" Laurel ask with a grin.
"It's that a challenge Lance?" Ted asks curious.
"Did I not make that obvious enough, Grant?" Laurel responds and then without warning Laurel and Ted both start to attack each other, causing Thea to roll her eyes as she walks back over to Roy and Sin.
"They said one more round." Thea comments.
"And you don't believe that." Roy realises.
"It's Laurel and Ted who knows." Thea comments and the tree of them drift into silence as they watch Laurel and Ted continue to fight this time Laurel gets knocked to the mat but then she quickly gets up again, preparing to fight.
"HEY, WHAT HAPPENED TO ONE MORE ROUND?" Thea calls and after once more exchanging looks Laurel and Ted climb out the ring.
"So, where you thinking for dinner?" Laurel asks curious as Ted throws a towel at her.
"Anything." Thea request, "And you're joining us, right Ted?" Thea asks curious.
"You should." Laurel comments.
"Sure." Ted response.
"Give us five minutes to get changed, and while we are doing that you three decide on where we're eating." Laurel says before she heads over to the change room and Ted heads to his back room.
Fifteen minutes later Ted, Laurel, Thea, Sin and Roy walk into the local Big Belly Burger.
"Why do we end up here?" Laurel asks
"It's cheap." Roy says.
"It's easy." Sin adds.
"It's quick." Thea adds.
"And it tastes pretty good." Ted adds as they make their way over to a booth.
"Sounds about right." Laurel says, honestly wondering why she asked the question, and once they get to the booth Roy, Sin and Thea squeeze into one side while Laurel and Ted sit on the other.
"So how bruises do you two think you're going to have tomorrow?" Sin asks curious.
"A lot." Ted and Laurel say together, causing all five of them to laugh and together the five enjoy their meal, talking and laughing most of the time.
Unknown to the group of five not even ten minutes after they started to eat a figure clad in green leather lands on the rooftop across from big belly burger and just watches.
As he sees Laurel and Thea so happy as they eat with their friends two thoughts cross Oliver's mind, the first is that he really wishes he could go join them but he knows that it is better for everyone if he doesn't and the second is that he can't help but feel jealous, jealous that Ted is clearly so important to Thea and Laurel, that they are so comfortable with him, and as he sees Laurel put her arm around Ted's shoulder, squeeze him and give a teasing grin, a grin that Oliver has missed so much, before letting go Oliver knows that he can't watch anymore because it just hurts too much. So, shooting an arrow Oliver swings away as even though he is happy that Laurel and Thea are so happy it he knows that he can't be happy with them, and that hurts.
Hours later Thea and Laurel are sitting together in their apartment just watching TV on the couch sharing a blanket.
"You've been quiet, are you okay?" Laurel asks concerned.
"I'm fine." Thea lies.
"No, you're not." Laurel realises, "I'm here if you want to talk."
"I couldn't believe him today." Thea say after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Oliver." Laurel realises.
"Yeah, I was starting to think he was different, but then what he said today, that was worse than who he was before the boat." Thea realises, "How could he do that?"
"I don't know." Laurel admits, "But I think he was trying to push everyone away."
"Why would he do that?" Thea asks, pain in her voice.
"I don't know." Laurel admits and the two of them drift into silence, Laurel putting her am around Thea as they do, and as she does Laurel curses Oliver as that is now twice that he has hurt Thea.
Hours later, after she made sure Thea has gone to bed Laurel has once more headed out as the Woman in Black. Having already stopped a couple of muggers Laurel is standing on top of a building not doing anything, just watching over the city.
As she watches Laurel sees a familiar figure walking alone through the streets and against her better judgment Laurel follows along the rooftops watching Oliver Queen as he walks home, wondering why he is in the Glades in the first place.
As he walks home Oliver gets the feeling that someone is watching him and after quickly glancing over his shoulder Oliver realises that it is the Woman in Black, and honestly he can't help but wonder why she would be watching him.
Even though Oliver has a lot of questions for them Woman in Black he knows he can't ask them as Oliver Queen so he just keeps walking, being very aware of what the Woman is doing as he does.
For over ten minutes later Laurel follows Oliver, watching over him from above, but then she spots two men coming from the other end of the alley, one pulling a gun and the other pulling a knife. Realising exactly what they are going to do Laurel jumps down and lands directly in front of Oliver.
"What?" Oliver starts to asks surprised then he realises exactly what is going on as two men come towards him and the woman who is protecting him.
"Stay behind me." Laurel says with her modified voice and honestly Oliver almost has to laugh at the irony off that, and without a word Laurel runs towards the two men pulling both batons out as she does.
Moving into place Laurel dodges a man who is trying to stab her while she uses her baton to knock the gun out of the others hand. In doing so the second man manages to stab her with the knife in the side, and knowing that she can't focus on that for a second even though she will need to fix it later, Laurel swings with her baton, hitting the man who stabbed her on the back of the head, knocking him out, causing it to just be her and the guy, who has picked up guy once more.
"You can't protect Queen." The man informs Laurel.
"Sure, I can't." Laurel responds before she holsters both her batons.
"Why would you?" The man asks, becoming distracted, and Laurel is able to use that as her opening by grabbing the arm that isn't holding the gun, which she then uses to twist him around and slam his head down onto her knee in a way that Laurel knows will keep him unconscious for a little while.
"Are you okay, Mr Queen?" Laurel asks as she turns back around to face Oliver, being thankful that thanks to the fact that it is so late her face is mostly in shadows.
"Thanks to you." Oliver says, knowing that he could have handled it on his own, but it would have given away who he is so it is good that she intervened.
"It's what I do." Laurel responds.
"You're hurt." Oliver comments.
"It's just a scratch." Laurel says, partly lying, "You should be more careful, Mr Queen. This neighbourhood isn't safe." Laurel says before she does a parkour move that it took Ted six weeks to teach her and hurries up the fires escape and onto a roof which she uses to disappear, Oliver watching her go with an amazed look on his face.
"I'll figure you out." Oliver informs The Woman in Black as she goes, his voice being too quiet for her to hear.
After making sure that she wasn't followed, because honestly she wouldn't be surprised if Oliver wanted to follow a woman in leather that just saved his ass, Laurel headed home, and once she has climbed into her window Laurel starts to remove the leather, that is now sticking to her thanks to blood.
"I really need to get something stronger." Laurel mutters, thinking about trying to figure out something stronger to make her outfit out of, because before too long someone will question why she has so many scars.
Once she has managed to get the leather off, Laurel in only her underwear and the tank top she wears heads over to where her medical supplies are. Pulling out everything she needs Laurel heads back over to her bed and pulls up her shirt so that she can have a clear look, thanks in part to the mirror that she has strategically placed for situations like these.
Knowing that she has to get a clear view Laurel clears the extra blood away so that she can start to stich up the wound that is several inches long. Even though she has a lot of experience with patching up her injuries Laurel still reacts in pain every time she does a stich.
For about five minutes Laurel continues to patch her wound, reacting every time she does a stich, until she hears a knock on the door.
"Laurel, you home?" Thea asks as she knocks.
"Yea, I'm home Speedy." Laurel says, trying to keep her reaction in, and as she does the door starts to open, "Don't come in." Laurel says and unsurprisingly the door opens.
"Oh god, what happened?" Thea asks terrified as she sees the blood on Laurel's side.
"It looks worse than it is." Laurel assures her as she continues to patch herself up, hating that Thea has now seen the very thing she has been trying to prevent Thea from seeing.
"You sure about that?" Thea asks worried, "Because that looks bad."
"I'll be okay." Laurel says as she just continues to stich up her wound.
"How can you do that?" Thea asks worried.
"I have to." Laurel says as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing.
"What can I do?" Thea ask worried.
"Leave, I don't want you to have to see this." Laurel informs her as she is trying to protect her.
"I'm not going anywhere." Thea says, putting her hands on Laurel's knees.
"Please Thea." Laurel requests.
"No, I'm not leaving." Thea says stubbornly.
"Fine." Laurel says, wishing that Thea would go and for the next ten minutes Thea watches as Laurel stiches herself up, a she does Thea decides that she is going to figure out a way to help Laurel be a bit safer when she is on the streets, fighting for people in The Glades.
