WOW! It's been a long time. I'm sorry for the long wait, but life got in the way with graduating, job hunting, and to a new state...I did manage to get this out and am continuing to write! Enjoy
Abigail woke up just after sun rise. She rolled over to find Oliver lying on his stomach beside her. During the night she must have stolen most of the covers because he was left with only a sheet draped low on his waist while she fought her way through a mountain of blankets. A small smile on her face, she finally made her way out of the blankets and slid across Oliver's bare back. Kissing her way across scared flesh, Abigail leaned over his shoulder and placed a few fleeting kisses along his jaw.
The low rumble made its way through his chest as Oliver finally came out of this deep sleep. The sleepy laugh vibrated through his chest into hers, as Abigail lay across his broad shoulders. He turned slightly to gaze up at her sleepily, surprised to see the warm smile on her face.
"Good morning," he mumbled as he turned back into the pillows bunched under his head with his arms.
"Morning, sleepy head." She cooed. "Come run with me."
"Its early, Abbie." Again his words were muffled by pillows.
"Fine," she sighed as she slid off of him. "I'll see you at breakfast."
"Wait," Oliver turned over and gripped her wrist. Abigail stumbled, falling over him once again.
He leaned in and captured her lips. Abigail melted against him as she moaned into the kiss. Oliver's hand twisted in her messy hair as he drew her in as close as possible. Finally breaking apart with the need for oxygen, Abigail pushed herself back to her feet.
"Get some rest, you deserve it." She smiled one last time before disappearing into the closet to change.
Oliver was once again asleep by the time she left the room. The mansion was eerily quiet as the sky was just starting to warm up with the rising sun. Abigail was always a runner, something she liked to think her mother gave her. Rebecca was always awake with the sun and as a small girl, Abigail was always up with her. They would walk around the gardens in the back of their home and even play a few rounds of tag. Those were the memories Abigail held close to her heart. Her mother was nothing like the other society women she'd grown up around. She was the most loving and nurturing woman, and Abigail had always hoped to mimic her mother one day with children of her own.
Lost in thought as she ran the grounds of the Queen Mansion, Abigail slowed as she saw a pair of head stones off the path nestled near the tree line. She made her way over and felt as if someone took a sledgehammer to her chest. It was almost comforting to see Robert's name grace the head stone, but to stare at Oliver's broke her heart. Suddenly overcome with the thousands of times she'd almost lost him, Abigail backed away from the small family plot. She decided then that she'd need to speak to someone about removing Oliver's and better yet, talk to Tommy about whether or not she had one somewhere. Maybe it was under the large Magnolia tree alongside her mother's.
Making her way back to the house, Abigail did her best to slip in the back door unnoticed. She wasn't surprised to see Raisa already cooking away in the kitchen. The two woman shared a warm smile before Abigail ran up the stairs to clean up. Coming into the room, she laughed as she saw Oliver in the exact same position she left him in, only this time he was cradling her pillow under his face.
"Oliver," she called as she slipped off her shoes and jacket, waiting for a reaction. She continued to strip down to her underwear and sports bra before speeding towards the bed and landing on top of him.
"Oh God." He grunted as he turned under her. "Good run?"
"Would've been better with you there, I like the competition." She smiled leaning down to kiss him quickly before rolling off of him and heading for the bathroom. "I'm going to shower before breakfast."
Sitting at the table, Oliver tried to remember what it was like to have a normal family meal. His mother was at the head of the table, across from Walter, and Thea was directly across from him holding her head in her hands. He was sure she was nursing a raging hangover. It should have felt natural, all of them together. He couldn't help but feel an unease fall over him. There was nothing worse than letting your guard down, that's what he learned quickly on the island.
He heard Abigail before he saw her. The patter of her feet bounding down the stairs was a familiar sound, one that calmed considerably. She came into the room, still shaking out her damp hair. He almost laughed as she got her ring caught on a few strands. She huffed as she pulled the stands loose before sliding onto the seat next to Oliver and picking at the fruit on her plate.
"I love this ring, but I think it's going to become a special occasion accessory after I get a wedding band." Abigail smiled at him. Oliver glanced down at her hand before taking it into his own.
"Don't ever take it off." He said quietly as his thumb gently moved over the diamonds. She nodded, mouthing an okay, before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the lips.
Thea let out a disgusted noise causing the couple to come out of their own little world and acknowledge the rest of the table. Abigail felt her face flush as she took in Moira's beaming smile and Walter's happy expression. It was nice to know at least two people were happy for her and Oliver.
"Abigail, would you like to come with us this morning? We are going to show Oliver around Queen Consolidated." Walter stared at the brunette with a small smile.
By the pleading look Oliver sent her way, she consented. "I'd love to, Walter. That was always my favorite part of hanging out with Oliver, one way or another we'd end up at the office. "
"You were always using me to get to my dad." Oliver said turning to her with a mock hurt expression on his face.
"Maybe, but you also slept with most of my friends so I'm going to call us even." She glared, pinching his side.
"You two are the weirdest couple." Thea grumbled from where she sat slumped over the table across from them.
"What was that Thea, I didn't quiet hear you?" Abigail said a little louder than necessary making the teenager wince and the other adults around the table smother their laughter.
"We used to be friends, Abbie." Thea said getting up from the table. This time the others didn't try to stifle their laughs. Thea left the room, slowly making her way back up the stairs.
"I almost miss those days." Abigail sighed as she leaned into Oliver's side. He wrapped an arm around her, as hers circled his waist.
The couple excused themselves before heading up stairs to get ready. It seemed strange to her how well they adjusted to each other in such a domestic setting. Before, they were in tune with each other's actions when there was a threat. Oliver knew where Abigail would attack first and vice versa. Now it was all about who got the mirror in the bathroom first and maneuvering around the closet without knocking into each other. In what felt like no time they were both dressed casually, walking hand in hand down to meet Walter and Moira for the ride into the city.
Walking into the building of Queen Consolidated, Abigail felt her chest constrict. Oliver must have felt it too because the second they breached the threshold, he gripped her hand tightly in his own. It was strange walking in knowing that Robert wouldn't be waiting for them on the top floor. The group stepped into the executive elevator, Abigail moving so that she stood in front of Oliver. Moira smiled at the pair as she watched Oliver slide his hand along her arm until their fingers were interlaced again.
That feeling over took Abigail again as the elevator doors slid open after what only felt like seconds. A part of her wanted it to look completely different, almost unrecognizable. It would make going into the office easier if she couldn't clearly imagine how Robert had looked sitting behind the desk.
Walter led the way, Moira taking Oliver's arm and following after her new husband, but it was Diggle that prompted Abigail to follow after the group. His hand on her upper arm urged her forward. She sent him an appreciative smile before feeling her legs finally move.
"Are you alright, Ms. Merlyn?" He asked only sparing a quick glance at the women that were still fawning over Oliver as the others walked into the office.
"Fine," she choked out before clearing her throat. "It's just how I remember it." That statement seemed to explain everything as his face softened and he nodded, allowing her to walk a little slower before rejoining the group.
"Queen Consolidated's success of late is a result of its targeted diversification." Walter and Moira had their attention directed strictly towards Oliver. "We have been making impressive inroads in cutting edge fields like bio-tech and clean energy."
"That's neat. Excuse me?" Oliver called out to the receptionist. Abigail moved from her place at the door further into the room. She was already anticipating the actions of spoiled Ollie's return.
"Oliver, Walter and I have something to discuss with you. Come, please sit." Moira tried to coax him.
"Mom, it makes me nervous when you ask me to sit down." Abigail moved to stand beside Oliver, wrapping her hand around his arm and placing her other in the center of his back, anchoring him.
"The company's about to break ground on a new site for the Applied Science division, and we would like to honor your father by dedicating the building in his name."
"That's nice." Abigail finally spoke up. Oliver smiled down at her before nodding in agreement.
"And we'd like to make an announcement at the dedication that you will be taking a leadership position in the company." Moira said.
"No." Oliver quickly disagreed. Abigail tightened her grip on his arm hoping to reign in his arguments. "No, I don't want to lead anything. Besides, Walter is doing a very good job here.
"You said that you wanted to be a different person. And you are Robert Queen's son."
"I don't need to be reminded of that." Abigail felt Oliver tense.
"Obviously, you do." Moira pointed out.
"Everyone here understands that this transition is really difficult for you, both of you." Walter gave a small nod to Abigail.
"Thank you, Walter." Abigail said, again squeezing Oliver's arm and catching his gaze to try and change the subject.
"Which part though?" Oliver asked as he stepped out of her grasp. "Everyone fantasizing that I got my MBA while I was on the island? Or the fact that my father's CFO now sleeps down the hall from me?"
"Oliver," Abigail breathed. Moira moved for the door, disappointment clear in every feature.
"Why would you say that? You're acting like a child." Abigail sighed as she watched Walter walk out after Moira. "She just wants what's best for you, and you're pushing her away."
"This isn't what's best for me." Oliver explained motioning to his father's office.
"Can you give us a minute Mr. Diggle?" Abigail asked with a pleading look. He gave a small nod before moving his position to the opposite side of the door.
"But wearing the hood is? Being hunted by the cops and nearly dying every night is better for you?" She shook her head as he took a few more steps away from her towards the large windows. "What about what's better for us? Eventually, Starling City won't need this hooded vigilante anymore and all I'll be left with is a billionaire asshole."
"Abbie," Oliver sighed at her outburst.
"No, don't treat me like everyone else, Oliver. I know what you're thinking better than anyone, even you most of the time. This is my life too, now. You don't want this job, fine then you better come up with another one, because no one would believe that I would settle for a man still living off his trust fund."
"And what are you going to do?"
"Take this job." She said before turning around and heading out the office, hoping to catch Walter.
"Ollie," Abigail rolled over to find she was alone on the wet ground. She had finally managed to get some sleep when they got to the island. Oliver had been huddled with her through the night, keeping each other warm as best they could. A panic rose within her as she felt a chill run through her body, he wasn't anywhere she could see and it seemed that he hadn't been for a while.
Slowly she stood up, moving out from the cover of trees to take in her surroundings. She felt more aware now that she'd finally managed a few hours of sleep. Her mind didn't feel as fuzzy and a kind of calm settled over her now that they were actually on solid land instead of floating in the life raft with Robert's body. It was then that she saw him, lifting heavy rocks into a pile not too far from the beach. For a moment she thought he'd finally succumbed to the sun and dehydration, but then her eyes fell on the now empty raft.
"Oliver?" She calls out to him, keeping a large distance between them.
"I couldn't leave him out there." His voice was soft, broken. Abigail kneeled next to him placing her hand on his back and resting her forehead against his shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened, Abbie."
"Don't be, I'm just glad that I'm here with you instead of back home wondering what the hell happened." He finally turned to her then, just barely meeting her eyes. "It would have killed me not knowing."
He stood then, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Abigail took comfort in his warmth even though they were stuck on this island at least they were together. Her arms circled him, pressing him as closely as possible. She hoped he was getting as much comfort from her as she was taking from him.
"Walter, wait." Abigail called after the retreating couple. Moira was already poised at the elevators, the expression on her face one that Abigail had seen dozens of times before when Oliver acted like a trust fund brat. "Could I do it? The job, I mean."
Walter turned and shared a look with Moira before giving his attention back to Abigail. "What would your father say to you working for a rival company?"
"It doesn't really matter what he says. I'm an adult that can make her own decisions. You know what Robert was doing, Walter. Moira, you remember right?" This time she took a step closer to the woman. "Since I was sixteen I've been trying to get Malcolm Merlyn to realize I could take over a company. He didn't believe me, but Robert did. Merlyn Global is going to Tommy, I've made peace with that. Robert gave me shares when I turned eighteen. He knew that I wanted to work here more than anything."
"I'll discuss it with the board." Walter said, resting a hand on Abigail's shoulder. "I'm sure we can persuade them to find a fitting position for a woman of your talents."
"Thank you. Both of you." She smiled, hugging Walter and then Moira.
"Please try to talk some sense into my son." Moira whispered as she held Abigail close. "He needs some direction."
"I'm working on it, promise."
Abigail watched as the couple got in the elevator before turning around and heading back for the office. She smiled, Oliver was still standing in front of the windows. She took a moment to look at him, really take in the man that she was risking her entire future for. Watching him with his hands in his pockets, staring out of the city she couldn't help but think that's exactly where he belonged.
"I always loved this view." She spoke up as she made her way towards him. "Especially at night, when the city's lit up. I would sometimes imagine coming in here after a late day of meetings and we'd eat some greasy take out while going over financial reports or maybe a new product we were interested in."
"CFO to my CEO." Oliver breathed. "That's what he said before we got on the Gambit. I could never picture it though." He took a step away, moving to the edge of the desk and leaning against it. His gaze landed on the picture of his father on the opposite shelf.
"Because I'm a girl?" Abigail smirked, remembering a lifetime of arguments between her and the boys that would end with that exact line.
"No, I just pictured it differently." He gave her a soft smile, as he reached out and once again ran his fingers over her engagement ring.
"You can do this, Oliver. You may have had trouble picturing yourself in your father's shoes, but I never did." She took a step into him, wrapping her hands around his neck. "I know where you're coming from, I just hope you know where I'm at too." She leaned in to press her lips to his temple before moving back to the door.
"You want to do this together?" He called after her.
"That's how we've survived this long, Oliver. You want me to help on your crusade, then you need to help me with mine."
With that she pushed through the door and made her way to the bank of elevators. It took a few moments, but by the time the doors dinged open, Oliver had settled a hand on the small of her back and guided her into the empty elevator.