++++++ I AM SO, SO, SO, SO, SORRY! My gran went back to the hospital with some complications from her surgery and so now she's back living with me for a while but drugged up on pain killers so she sleeps all the time now. This gives me the opportunity to try and type now. I'm also getting closer to my due date-that being like nine weeks away, maybe less if they feel the need to induce me. I'm starting to sleep like crazy again which apparently comes back in the third trimester. Anyway-please enjoy this chapter ++++++

Twenty-Six

I'd just gotten back from lunch with Felicity when my phone rang. Curious to see that it was Diggle, I pulled over and turned the Bluetooth on before answering. "Hey, Dig, what's the news? I was just heading to the lair."

"We've got a problem," Diggle answered, sounding truly stressed out. "It's Oliver, he's taking Helena to the lair."

"Fuck me up the ass with a rake!" I snapped. I sighed and rubbed my gloved hands on my black leather pants. "What do you want me to do? He's obviously made up his mind without consulting with either of us. I have a date with Roy tonight and I'm not letting Oliver fuck that up for me."

"I know, River," Diggle answered, "I just don't trust Helena and I think Oliver's making a mistake."

"He's making a lot of those lately," I groaned. "Alright, fine. I'll got and talk to him. If Oliver's told you he's bringing her to the lair than they're probably already there….one question before you go, Dig-what do the kids like these days? Like not young teenagers but I'm talking sixteen and over…young adults."

Diggle paused. "Um-tough question. Tattoos are a big thing these days with kids-electronics. Why?"

"No reason," I shrugged. "I'll let you know how it goes with Oliver." I hung up and let the cars go by before turning around to go to the Glades. I got off and headed through the secret entrance to the lair. I could hear the sound of laughter in the training area and when I got there, I could see Helena with Oliver and he was trying to show her how to use his bow.

"What the fuck Oliver?" I snapped, scaring the two of them.

Oliver turned around, looking like a kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and Helena looked somewhat confused. "I thought you were at lunch with Felicity," Oliver frowned.

"What the hell is she doing here?" I snapped, not really caring to acknowledge the mafia heiress in the lair.

"Oliver is helping me," Helena answered. "We haven't gotten properly introduced, River. I'm Helena-"

"I know who you are!" I snapped, glaring at her. "And I'm a hundred percent certain that I didn't ask you to talk." I turned back to Oliver. "If Diggle hadn't of called me to tell me that he didn't trust her being here-I'd probably never find out-would I?" I asked him. "And I'm sure you've told her all about me, as well? Not just blurted out all of your secrets but mine as well."

"I'm trying to help Helena," Oliver told me in that oh so perfect voice he used when he was trying to avert me from exploding. "She hasn't had the training that you and I have had-"

"Great!" I scowled. "Let's dump the bitch on the island for five years than we'll swing back 2017 to pick her up-no harm, no foul."

Oliver's mouth twitched and he looked at me like I was some kind of wayward child who needed to be put on time out. "River-you promised. We've got a mission to save this city and the people in it. Helena is lost and she needs help before she kills someone innocent."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So you think that a couple of training sessions and maybe some in bed with Oliver time will help her?"

The two of them stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't hard to guess, Oliver. Frank's on the list-as far as I'm concerned, Helena's fair game. She almost killed you mother-for that alone, but a fucking arrow in her and be done with it."

Helena glared at me, her confusion was slowly being replaced with hatred and loathing.

"Two choices, Oliver," I warned him, doing my best impression of my mother when I was a girl. "She stays, I go. I already play second fiddle to you Oliver when you promised to let me out my own. I'm not your sister, I'm not your fucking Robin or Nightwing, I'm your partner. You treat me with the same respect you would anyone who is on the same level with you. You never consulted me about Dig and you never asked me about this. So, you can forget calling for Shade for help because until she's gone-I am not answering your calls." I grabbed my helmet off the bench and tucked it underneath my arm.

"River!" Oliver called after me as I headed back up the stairs. "River-wait."

I stopped halfway up the staircase and turned back around. "You fuck me over on this Ollie and you and I are done. I will not tolerate this. I may have made you a promise but I am not going to let you drag me down like Robert did my father and I will not be cleaning up your messes like my mother does with Tommy's father. When you decide what to do-call me. Until then-don't call me."

I headed back upstairs through the clean-up that was going on and decided to go to the Watchtower to get my mind off Oliver and Helena. I was furious that he'd done what he done. I mean yes, I told Felicity but she made up her own mind about Oliver and wasn't treating me like a child and Felicity had in no means murdered anyone to gain my trust-or in Oliver's case-misguided sympathy. I can't believe that he thinks making Helena a vigilante is going to help. The woman was a loose cannon and it wasn't going to take much longer before she exploded and it bit Oliver in his ass.

I sighed and started looking at places a bunch of kids like to hang out and have a little fun but also be somewhat education at the same time. If I wanted Felicity to be working for me than I knew that IT would have to be a must but I also wanted to combine it with something I liked but something that would attract business and not have it flop.

Being an adult in the real world was helping take the pressure off my problems with Oliver.

As I was flicking through Facebook my phone started ringing. I answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Quinn?"

"River!" came the shrill voice at the other end.

I rolled my eyes. "Hello, mum. What shit do you wish to rain down on my parade today?" As if my day couldn't get any worse.

"River, I called because we're having dinner tonight with the Merlyn's," she told me, literally storming down on my already shit day.

"Hell be damned I am," I snorted. "I have a date with my boyfriend tonight and I am not going to post-pone it."

"Since when did you get a boyfriend?" she asked.

"Sometime between none of your damn business and now," I retorted. "I ain't coming. No amount of bitching and moaning is going to make me. I'm already having issues and to top it off, I'm going into business with a friend so there's that to sort out. I'm busy."

"You're opening your own business?" Peter asked on the other end sounding mildly surprised. "Congratulations River. If you need any help with permits or anything, let me know. I have a friend who works in the mayor's office."

"Peter!" my mother snapped. "River, this dinner is important to me. Your sisters are going and Thomas will be there with his girlfriend-"

"Wait! Tommy has a girlfriend?" I asked.

Peter chuckled. "It's Laurel, Quintin isn't too happy about it…You're mother really needs you at this dinner, River. You can bring your boyfriend."

I could practically feel my mother tense up on the opposite end of the phone. "No, dinner and movies is fine by me. Roy wouldn't feel comfortable hanging out with the one percenters. And I'm not going to make him. I'll have fun hanging out with him in the Glades-where he lives. You know-dealing drugs and the like...pot, meth, cocaine, Vertigo. Stuff like that."

"River-" I hung up with a grin on my face wondering how the hell I actually missed that woman whilst I was on the island.

I did a quick glance at the time and stretched. I had enough time to go home, have a small nap and get ready for the date. I had a few ideas for what I wanted and I had a feeling it would be somewhat popular. I had hoped that if I asked Roy, he'd take a job but I knew he had his pride despite the fact that I'd only known him for a while.

As I went to leave, I stopped by Felicity's computer to look at the suit shed finished messing around with. I grinned and saw that she was still playing around but I liked what I'd seen in the design. I flicked the mouse across the screen and quickly submitted the order requesting three of the suits and added features. I had a few orders of new weapons coming in next week so I wanted her to see what she gravitated to. Hopefully within the month-maybe two I'd have her in the field with me. By Christmas at the latest. The IT girl had good balance-childhood gymnastics she'd told me this morning as we trained. A quick check of my new investments had me grinning like the Cheshire cat as I left.

++++++ So I've decided on three different things for the business. IT for Felicity and a bookshop for River-cause she, like me, loves to read hehe-and a coffee shop. It's a good combination of three of my favorite things as well. Hope you like ++++++