Author's notes: I do not own Arrow, Flash, or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Wow it has been so freakin long and I am so sorry. I have all sort of excuses, college and personal life and stuff, but all I really wanna say is that although I can't promise to be permanently back (Sometimes I feel like I'm not going through college but college is going through me) I'll try my best to update once again because I did like writing this fanfic.

Daisy stared at herself in the mirror, feeling so foreign in her own body. She wasn't sure when was the last time she had worn anything akin to a dress, and now here she was, going out on a date with a civilian, out of all things.

Lately, all her life was fighting and trying to survive, trying to be good, to do good. And after Lincoln, she didn't think she could ever try dating again. It still hurt too much, the pain raw in her chest every time she opened her eyes from the nightmares that plagued her more often than not.

They say wounds heal with time, but Daisy wasn't sure anymore. She wished she could forget all the pain, but she couldn't, and it simply didn't get better.

And yet, somehow, this felt okay. Maybe it was because she was in another universe. The whole situation felt so unreal, like when you are in a dream, and no matter what you do, it simply doesn't affect the real world.

Or maybe it was something about Oliver. Something that Daisy saw in his eyes, possibly connected to all the loss and bad things he has suffered. Or maybe, it was something else entirely. But there was something about him that made her feel less lonely.

She checked her phone again. She redirected the messages from Team Arrow to it, so she could carry it with her, and still answer. It was a risk, because if their hacker tried to find her, right now they could make way too many steps before she could react. But it was a risk Daisy was willing to make, even though she wasn't sure what she would do if she was needed while at the gala.

She looked at her reflection again, trying to ignore how unfamiliar she looked in a dress, looking so vulnerable, so innocent. But she could feel the gun strapped on her thigh, reminding her that was not the case. And even without a weapon, she was anything but vulnerable.

Her hair was longer now, but still nowhere near as long as it was before, when she last wore a dress. Before this whole inhuman debacle. It was at Ian Quinn's party, years ago, but Daisy remembered it like it had happened yesterday.

Her dress was similar to that pink dress too, but she went with a much darker color scheme. Those bright colors just didn't seem to fit her anymore, nor her mood.

The doorbell rang.

Daisy took one last look at herself, satisfied with what she was seeing, then went to open the door.

Oliver was looking impeccable as always, one of his rare smiles appearing on his face when he saw her. It seemed honest enough, reaching his eyes, even if only barely.

"Hi," Daisy greeted him with a smile, "you are early."

"Diggle drove me here because apparently, the mayor can't appear with a motorcycle." He said, lifting one eyebrow like he was honestly baffled, and smiled. He then looked at Daisy more closely. She could feel his gaze and thanked the heavens for all the agent lessons from May, without them, she sure as hell would have fidgeted. "You look beautiful tonight" Oliver added, and Daisy suddenly understood why so many girls would fall for Oliver Queen whe he was still in his playboy phase. Hell, probably even now. His eyes were intense, and his tone was just right: he complimented her without making her feel uncomfortable. He was a born charmer.

"Well, you don't look to bad yourself." Daisy offered with a flirtatious smile. "Wanna come in? I'll be ready in a minute."

She stepped aside, allowing Oliver into the house, who looked around with mild interest. He was wearing the same look on his face that May does when she is analyzing a potentially dangerous situation.

Suddenly, Daisy regretted not hiding her laptop. She wasn't sure how much Oliver knew about computers, and hers looked very high tech, enough to stand out from the rest of the apartment. Well, she could always hope that Oliver didn't know enough about technology, he did spend five years on an island after all.

No such luck. She saw as his eyes stopped, face not giving away anything besides arching an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for a techie." He said, nodding at the laptop. The 'Or a billionaire' part wasn't added, but Daisy knew he thought it.

"Got it from a friend." Not even a lie. "He is quite a genius. Built it himself."

Thankfully, Oliver seemed to let the question go, his eyes analyzing the rest of the room now, taking in every nook and cranny. At least the money wasn't there anymore. Oliver would have probably thought she robbed a bank or something. "Nice place." He said in the end.

"Thank you. You can sit down if you want, I'll be back in a moment."

She entered the bedroom, getting out of Oliver's eyesight. She checked one last time that her weapon was strapped to her thigh right, and got her purse that she left on the bed previously.

"Alright, ready to go now." Daisy stepped out of the bedroom. Oliver was standing in front of the picture that Daisy put on the table a day before. She found it on her phone a few days back, and immediately went and had it printed out so she could have it framed.

"It's a nice picture. Your friends?" He asked.

"They are more like a family to me." Daisy admitted, stepping next to him, looking at the picture.

She wasn't sure when it was taken, but Lincoln was still alive then. They were all sitting on the couch, while Daisy and Mack were playing a video game, with the team all around them. Lincoln had his arms around Daisy, looking curiously at the others. Jemma was sitting between Daisy and Mack, looking behind her and arguing with Coulson about something, who was standing behind the couch, pointing at his robotic hand. May was standing next to Coulson, her arms folded, looking seriously at the camera, being the only one who noticed someone was taking a photograph.

That someone was Fitz, his face taking up quarter of the picture as he smiled into the camera while taking the selfie with the team.

Daisy was very grateful that Fitz uploaded that on the phone. It reminded her of home, and even though it also made her heart ache with longing, it was also calming. Being in another universe, where nothing that happened in hers is real can make one feel lost and possibly wondering what is real and what isn't. But the picture was proof. She had a family. A home. And it was waiting for her.

"They seem nice." Oliver said finally.

"They are." Daisy assured him. "I had to leave them behind on a moment's notice. Couldn't even say goodbye properly."

Oliver looked at her with understanding, but didn't ask what happened, didn't push for answers. Daisy was glad about that, since she wasn't sure what she could have said to him if he did.

"Maybe I'll tell you about them someday." Daisy smiled.

"I'd like that." He said sincerely. Then he pointed at the picture. "Is he your..?"

"No." It was a logical question, since the story made it seem like she just left them behind. "He was. But he died some time ago. To save me."

Blue eyes found Daisy's, filled with compassion. She suddenly remembered what she had read about Oliver Queen, about the losses he has suffered. He knew what it felt like. He knew exactly.

It wasn't pity in his eyes, but deep, deep sadness that came with understanding. "I'm sorry," he said, and again, he didn't ask.

Daisy only realized it now, how close they were, his eyes boring into hers. She could almost smell him, as he leaned closer, his intention obvious. Daisy found she couldn't resist him, didn't want to, lost in the heat of the moment.

But it was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. "Oliver, we need to go if you don't want to be late." Diggle said, putting a stop to the moment and reminding them of the reality.

Daisy pursed her lips, and stepped back. "Right. We should go."

Oliver nodded, his eyes once again unreadable.

The limousine ride was more or less eventless, although Daisy couldn't say she didn't enjoy it. The last time she sat in a car, the car was literally on fire, so the calamity that came with limousines was very welcome.

Not that the flaming car wasn't fun, but it would be very inconvenient when one was trying to get to a charity gala with said car.

It would make hell of an entrance though. Hell of an entrance.

"So, on a chart from one to ten, how likely is it that they will try to kill you on the gala?" Daisy asked jokingly, hoping to start a conversation.

Oliver smiled. "Around three. It's much more likely they will just try to take me hostage or take someone else hostage and try to make demands." He joked, and Daisy would have lied if that lighthearted tone didn't make her own heart beat just a little bit faster.

"Well," she winked "good thing your date is also a bodyguard then."

Oliver chuckled then just a bit. "Not that I doubt your skills, but let's hope it doesn't come to that though."

Daisy smiled and leaned back in her seat, her eyes finding Oliver's. For a moment, she debated whether to ask or not, afraid of ruining the moment. But in the end, her curiosity won.

"So, what makes a former playboy with a hint of Robinson Crusoe in him want to fight for this city so much?" She looked outside, her eyes zoning in on the city passing by.

The answer didn't arrive immediately, and for a moment Daisy started cursing herself that maybe she made a mistake there. But when she looked back at Oliver, there was only warmth in his eyes.

"A promise." He said finally with half a smile. "And it's not the city. It's the people in it."

Daisy wanted to ask, she really did, but something in Oliver's eyes told her that she shouldn't question any further.

"But how about you? Not many people move into Star City nowadays, yet here you are."

"What can I say? Most people run from danger. I run towards it." She knew she was deflecting but it seemed like the best option at the moment.

"You are running from something." It was a statement, not a question.

Daisy tried to read Oliver then. Was he suspicious of her? Did she do something that gave her away?

She half expected to find nothing, but this time, Oliver wasn't unreadable. He had the look of someone who knew exactly what he was talking about because he had been there.

"Takes one to know one." She answered carefully.

They stared into each other's eyes waiting for the other to give, but neither did.

And that was when they arrived at the charity gala.

Oliver knew he should be alarmed, suspicious maybe, or at least vary. But he wasn't. Daisy was hiding something, yes, that was for sure, but he couldn't help but feel like it didn't matter. Because the instincts that usually made him want to distrust people, the ones that urged him to keep everyone at arm's length? They were telling him that there was no danger here.

And when he entered the room with Daisy on his side, he couldn't help the feeling of happiness. Like something was very right here.

So he ignored all the alarm bells in his head, all the logical thoughts that were screaming at him from the back of his mind, and allowed himself to hope that this time, everything would turn out alright.

Mostly, the evening was spent with making good with politicians and the big figures of the city. Oliver was good at this; he knew he was. Before the island, he had been even better, but he could still charm people when he wanted to. And as a politician he needed that skill more and more.

What surprised him was that Daisy did the same. She joked with people, carefully maneuvering them right into Oliver's grasp, where he could say exactly what was needed to make people agreeable and more generous.

It was almost like she read people with so much precision she knew exactly how to make them do what she wanted.

They made a good team.

And then, something just had to happen to ruin everything.

"Well, if it isn't the mayor himself." Somebody said behind him, and Oliver knew that voice, and hated that voice. He felt Daisy stiffening beside him.

"Ian Quinn." He said, turning around with a dark expression. "I would have thought you were rotting in prison by now."

"Well, what can I say, you have your connections, I have mine." The man was walking towards them, a bodyguard on each side. He was smiling slyly, striding up to him in his impeccable suit. "I have to say, this looks good." He made a grand gesture of turning completely around. "So sweet of you to raise money for all these causes in the city, you know." His eyes bore into Oliver's. "I wish you stopped there instead of meddling in MY business." He held out his hand for a handshake.

"What can I say?" Oliver took it, and gripped it strongly enough to make the man wince. "Cleaning up the trash is a priority too."

He expected Quinn to be angry, or maybe intimidated. But he kept smiling, staring into Oliver's eyes without blinking. "About that. Keep doing that, and I promise you, you are going to regret it."

"Mr. Quinn, I have to say, it IS such a GREAT pleasure to meet you." Daisy interrupted the staring contest. Oliver looked at her with surprise, but her face showed nothing but naïve honesty, as she held out her hand.

Quinn looked at her with alike surprise, then smiled, and instead of shaking her hand, he kissed it with elegance. Oliver couldn't help the tick in his hand that appeared whenever he wished he had his bow. And oh man, did he wish for a bow now.

"And who would you be?" He asked politely.

"Just the bodyguard who stopped your attempted assassination on the mayor here," she looked at him with a smile, "and shot quite a few of your men. But you can call me Daisy." Oliver found himself chuckling a bit, while Ian Quinn gaped at her for a brief moment, the smile falling off his face. "So I would advise you to behave because I am just itching to beat you up." She added, still smiling, but with a darkness in her eyes that Oliver knew too well.

Ian Quinn actually stepped back at that. "Is that so?" He asked, the smile quickly back on his face, but this time, it seemed forced. "Let me give you both a piece of advice. Be careful who you piss off. Because, if you continue going after me Mr. mayor, I assure you, nobody will be able to protect you. Not your little girlfriend, and not the vigilante you all seem to love and depend on. Let's go gentlemen." He turned around and headed towards the exit.

Oliver stared after him, partly angry, partly impressed. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest, the exact opposite actually. Ian Quinn needed to go. And if prison couldn't hold him (Oliver should have expected that to be honest) then it was time for the Arrow to show him his place. And with much less mercy than last time.

He turned towards Daisy, but Quentin chose that moment to step up to them.

"Mr. Lance." She greeted him politely.

"Daisy, Oliver. Good to see you. I just got the call. Quinn is out."

"We know." Oliver assured him. "He was here."

"He was?" The ex-detective looked startled, and looked both of them up and down. "Are you both alright?"

Oliver just shot him a look, and briefly registered that Daisy did the exact same thing.

Quentin smiled a bit at that. "Right. Sorry, I forgot."

Oliver knew what he meant, and immediately deflected. "Yes, Daisy here handled him like a pro. He ran like a frightened kid, you really should have seen it."

He looked at the woman next to him, and felt himself smile. She really was beautiful tonight.

"Well, have to say your savage comments helped too." She added, brown eyes looking into his.

"Oookay then, I'm just gonna, uhm, go now." Oliver heard Quentin say, but ignored him completely, and so did Daisy. Oliver felt being drawn closer and closer to her, feeling himself getting lost in her brown eyes.

The alarm in his head were screaming now, but he ignored them completely.

He cupped her face and leaned close. She did the same, closing her eyes.

When his lips touched hers, everything seemed to fade away. It was a completely different feeling than anything before, like the world ceased to exist, and it was just the two of them there.

And there were fireworks too. So weird.

Suddenly, he the moment was interrupted by the strangest thing. He felt the ground shake under him, and they broke away at the same time, his eyes finding hers. While he was surprised, she seemed… scared? Oliver tore his eyes away, and looked around, finally registering what was happening, but the shaking stopped as quickly as it stared.

Everyone else seemed just as surprised as him, whispering amongst themselves. And Oliver immediately understood the reason for that, and leapt into action. "Everyone calm down; it was nothing but a minor earthquake. They happen. Absolutely normal," He said loud enough to garner everyone's attention. "I promise you, it was just that; a natural earthquake. Nothing more."

People seemed to calm down at that, getting back to whatever they were doing before. Satisfied with the results, Oliver turned around, looking for Daisy, still feeling her lips on his.

But she was nowhere to be found.

Aaaand that just happened.

So, yeah, this chapter is everything but perfect, but in my defense, writing is definitely not like riding a bicycle. Wow, I found myself struggling to find phrases and looking for words that I used to know more often than not, and the grammar, man did I forget the little grammar I used to know. No English lessons in college.

So, uhm, tell me your thoughts, and stuff.