Letting out the slightest of yawns making sure to not awake the occupant sitting next to her reaching out as she stretches out her arms to feel the discomfort she had been feeling for most of the previous night disappearing slightly turning her head to look to the side Laurel can't help but look down towards Thea with a concerned look across her face.
A look that has not left her face since the previous night. A night that was filled with so many things. Filled with so much pain. Pain that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Pain she had witnessed make it's way into the hearts of the people she cared about the most.
Pain that she could still see across her future sister in law's face. The dark bags still underneath her eyes from the hours of crying. Crying for her lost father. Crying for the pain that her brother had been put through.
A state she had never seen the youngest Queen sibling in before. But that didn't make it any easier. Didn't make her blood boil for those that had caused this as she had held her for most of the night as she cried herself to sleep.
An emotion that she had been able to keep down for their sake by replaying the same memory in her mind over and over again. The memory of visiting the Queen's mansion.
The memory of feeling the intense rush she felt as she quietly moved around the mansion stalking after the security force as if they were cattle and she was the wolf.
The satisfying feeling when she had taken down every single member of the security force with ease without making a sound. A feeling that only intensified when she had trapped her
Had trapped the source of her anger. Had trapped the Queen matriarch herself all alone with nobody around to help her.
A trap that had been executed flawlessly. And all it needed was a simple distraction. The distraction of a simple tapping of a window. A sound that she knew would echo through the empty mansion and draw out the Queen matriarch.
A plan that had succeeded as she had watched through the shadows Moira entering into Oliver's old bedroom to slowly make her way over towards her. To watch her close the window she had purposely opened to make any worries Moira had been feeling disappear.
A moment she would make sure was short lived as she smashed through the window sending the source of her anger down to the ground with a look of shocked riddled across her face. The same look she had seen quickly turn into fear as she bursted out of the room.
A thrill that she would always remember. Always remember what it had felt like when she had easily caught up to Moira. Remember what it felt like to punch Moira clean in the face. Something she had wanted to do for a long time.
Remember the satisfying feeling of stalking after the Queen matriarch as she cowered and begged for mercy. Mercy she would not show on this given night. And neither would her staff.
A staff that would smash into the back of the source of her anger sending her down the stairs in a hurry. The same staff she would retrieve as she would stalk her way towards her prey. Prey that laid motionless on the cold floor other than her slow and steady breathing.
A sight she would have just left her in until a memory had come flooding into her mind. A memory that seemed so long ago. The memory of hearing a secret. A secret from Thea. A secret that her soon to be sister in law had been struck by her mother. Maybe more than once.
Just a simple thought that caused her anger and rage to rise up to a new level before she drove her foot down hard causing the Queen matriarch to let out a scream. A scream that sounded like music to her ears.
A scream that would be followed by another. Only this time it would not be forgotten. Her prey would always remember the feeling. The feeling of having her wrist in a split second being snapped as though it were a twig.
But there was still a task that needed to be done. There was still questions she needed to be answered. Answers that had only brought more questions into her mind.
Questions she was still unsure how to answer. Who would be responsible for Walter's kidnapping? Who would want to hold leverage over Moira Queen? A woman that was considered to be the most powerful in the entire city.
A question that would bring so many theories into her mind. So many names. So many faces that could be behind this. Some familiar and some less so.
But she couldn't think about it right now. Now she had to focus on them. She had to focus on her family. She had to make sure they would be okay.
Something she knew deep down was not the case for the man sitting in the recliner to her left. She knew he wasn't okay. All by his silence. A scary silence.
The same silence she has heard from him since the previous night when he had taken a seat in the recliner with his father's journal in his hands. The very same journal she can now see him rereading from what she guessed had to be the 3rd time.
A journal she had read through entirely hoping to find the same answers he is seeking. Answers that just weren't there. Answers other than the coded messages. Messages that some were easy to decode. Easy to figure out who he had been referring to.
But for some others it wasn't the case. For the bigger players there was not clues. No messages waiting to be decoded. Instead they were a mystery. A mystery they would need to solve on their own.
Taking her eyes away from Thea as she looks over towards the recliner to see Oliver reading through his father's journal like she had seen him doing for the previous couple of hours reaching out Laurel lays a hand down gently on his free hand causing him to look up from the journal and towards her before gently she gives his hand a squeeze.
" Hey why don't you take a break?"
Letting out a sigh placing the journal down on his lap as he reaches out and gently rests his hand on top of her own slowly Oliver shakes his head as he looks down towards the floorboard.
" I can't. I know that i'm missing something."
" You're not. I read through your father's journal too. There were some entries that were obvious in the hints he was giving about who he was talking about but beyond that everyone else is a total mystery.
I mean the entry about the chemical waste being dumped into The Glades and who was responsible for it was obvious. But he never mentioned your mother. Not once being part of any of it. Any of this."
" But we know that she was. Just we don't know where she fits in all of this. Was she the one that betrayed my father? I just….I just need to know."
Giving his hand a squeeze as she watches Oliver turn to look up at her slowly Laurel forces a smile across her face.
" I know Ollie. I know. And we will find out. I promise but we need to find out first who she is working for first. Even if we want to blame her for his death the ones truly responsible for what happened to you and your father are the men that your mother is working for.
And i've been thinking about this for a while now. Hypothetically who would you think that you're father would fear so much that he would go along with their plans for the city?
You're mother feared them too because they threatened to do harm to you and Thea so they must be powerful. It couldn't be any company owned in Starling City. None of them are powerful enough to combat against The Queen Family. So that leaves…."
" The Triad."
Nodding her head as she glances down to see Thea still sleeping with her head still firmly in her lap slowly Laurel lets out a sigh.
" I think we're in way over our heads. Their powerful Ollie. And i mean not just here. Their known all across the world as being people that you do not want to mess with.
Battling them in court is one thing but actually going against them out there. In their element."
" What do you want to do?"
Letting out a sigh as she leans her head back to rest up against the back of the couch to look up towards the ceiling slowly Laurel shakes her head.
" I don't know what we can do. We're good Ollie. Really good but to go up against The Triad? We would need an army."
" So that's it then?"
Feeling a small weight leaving her lap as she leans her head back away from the back of the recliner to watch as Thea slowly sits up to look at her slowly Laurel shakes her head slightly.
" Thea? We just can't…."
" Just can't what? Beat the odds? Are you even listening to yourself? The Oliver and Laurel that i know wouldn't back down from this. They stand for justice.
You both have beaten the odds. Oliver beat the odds when he returned back home to us. You continue to beat the odds when you face another creep inside of a courtroom with a stacked deck working against you."
" Thea? We just can't go after them. They're too powerful. Even for Ollie and I.
I want to make them pay. Make them pay for everything that they have done. I really do but to do that. To go up against The Triad. It's suicide."
Without giving her a chance to react as she gently reaches out and takes Laurel's free hand in her own causing her to look at her blinking the tears away gently Thea gives her hand a squeeze.
" Please? I'm not asking for you to fight The Triad in a clean swoop. Hell i'm not asking you to go out there and pick a fight with anyone that resembles The Triad.
What i'm asking for you to do is get justice for my father. Get justice for every man,woman,and child that has ever been wronged by them like you always have. Do it for them. Please?"
Glancing away from Thea as she looks over towards Oliver to stare deep into his eyes after a few seconds as she sees him giving her the slightest of nods slowly Laurel turns her attention back towards Thea to give her a nod as she gives her hand a gentle squeeze.
" We'll try."
Leaning forward as she brings Laurel into an embrace to only feel the embrace being returned gently Thea buries her head into Laurel's shoulder as she feels her back being gently rubbed.
" We'll try."
Making her way down the long hallway leading to her father's apartment as she gives a slight wave to a younger couple as they pass on by her tucking her hands into her coat slowly Sara continues on forward with a blank look across her face.
A look that can be seen by every citizen that she would come across. An emotionless face. A look that would send a small chill down their spines upon sight.
The same look she has learned to master over the years. Long painful years. Years where her nightmares always seemed to follow her. Even if she was wide awake.
Coming to a stop just outside the apartment door as she slowly raises up her right hand just as she is about to knock Sara's eyes widen slightly as she takes a step back when she sees the door opening revealing Quentin with a shocked look across his face.
" Hey dad? Is everything alright?"
" No time to talk kitten. I need to go."
" Is that why your…."
As he watches Sara waiving up towards his hair reaching up Quentin quickly combs back his hair with his hand before he looks back over towards Sara to see a grin forming across her face.
" Much better. Now what's with the rush?"
" You haven't heard?"
Shaking her head as she side steps to the side allowing Quentin to exit out of the apartment slowly as she sees him heading down the hallway Sara follows quickly after him.
" Heard about what?"
" There was two attacks last night. I guess someone decided to shoot up a restaurant down town while another decided to make a house call."
" What restaurant and what do you mean by house call? Is everyone alright?"
" No. do you remember the little chinese restaurant that i used to take you and Laurel to every weekend when your mother would have her book club meetings?
Well someone last night decided to pay the place a visit. Nobody knows for sure what exactly happened. The only thing that i know is from what Lucas told me."
" And what did he tell you?"
" That it's a bloodbath in there. The owner of the restaurant along with a couple of unidentified men were found with a round each in their heads at the far end of the restaurant. Some of them weren't so lucky however.
I can't tell you more until i see it for myself."
" Well surely someone had to of seen them. Surely the person responsible had to of been caught on one of the restaurant's surveillance tapes."
Glancing over his shoulder as he gives Sara a small smile to only receive one in return reaching out Quentin gently wraps his arm around her shoulders.
" You would make a great detective."
" Dad stop it. You know i'm not interested in any of that stuff. Besides that would be the first thing that any experienced officer would do first anyways.
And what about this house call?"
" Well i was hoping to share this news first with your sister seeing as how it involves her fiance's family but i guess it will have to wait.
Apparently late last night Moira Queen was attacked."
" Attacked? Who would attack her?"
" Your guess is as good as mine. I'm heading there now to question her on the matter. All that i know for sure is what Lucas has told me. When he questioned her about it last night she claimed that a blonde haired woman wearing some kind of mask was the one that attacked her.
And she had a real number done to her. Lucas said that she is pretty shaken up about the whole ordeal."
" Blonde haired woman? You mean like the one that is being talked about in the papers? But i thought she worked with someone else? This other archer guy?"
" That is what i've been told by witnesses. It usually the same story. A blond haired woman wielding some kind of staff along with another man wielding a bow saved them."
" And what do you think about all of this?"
" Honestly i think that they are only trying to help. Don't get me wrong they're still criminals and need to be taken off the streets before someone really gets hurt.
But if they don't get ever get caught and continue to help lock up the bad guys then i can't really complain.
My problem isn't with them. It's with another."
" The Dark Archer, I presume?"
Slowly exiting out of the complex as he looks over to see Sara staring at him with a grin slowly Quentin shakes his head.
" How did you…."
" Know about The Dark Archer? I've been catching up on the city's history. Also it's kinda obvious that you are obsessed with him since you have a board with his picture on it in your living room. Can i make a suggestion?"
" And that would be?"
" Get yourself a girlfriend."
Letting out a small laugh as he leans over and kisses the top of Sara's head earning himself a smile slowly Quentin returns the smile.
" And why would i want to do that when i have my family right here in Starling City?"
" Dad!? You need someone other than Laurel or I to take care of you."
" That's not what i meant. We didn't want to get yours or Laurel's hopes up but i guess you were going to find out at some point. Your mother and I have started dating again. She got me doing some weird long distance relationship thing with her from my computer."
With a smile coming across her face leaning over Sara gives Quentin a kiss on the cheek before she pulls back to see him trying to suppress a smile.
" That's great dad!"
" Yeah just don't tell Laurel quite yet. I don't want her to get her hopes up. It's like i said. We are trying again but that doesn't mean that we will end up back together."
As he sees his car retracting his arm from her shoulders slowly Quentin makes his way over as he retrieves his keys from his pocket before just as he reaches the driver's side door Quentin looks over his shoulder to give Sara a smile.
" You want a lift? I can't let you into the crime scenes but i can at least drop you off back at your apartment."
" Yeah that would be great."
Feeling a nice breeze coming through her surroundings causing her hair to flow freely with the wind as she feels herself being gently held from behind slowly closing her eyes Laurel can't help but burn the moment into her mind.
Burn the moment of peace into her mind. A moment she wished to have many more of with the man that captured her heart. Moments of just watching the sun rising and falling everyday without a worry in the world.
Moments she wished to always have with him. But moments that seemed so far away. Moments that she needed to treasure when they would come. Moments that would be very rare with the things about to come.
About to do something that months ago seemed so crazy to do. Seemed so far fetched to do. But now? Now it seemed possible. Now it seemed like they had a chance. A small chance to succeed.
But a chance she knew deep down in her heart that they needed to take. Not just for the city. Not just for the citizens that called Starling City their home. No they had to do it for themselves.
It was just like how Thea said. They couldn't back down. They couldn't turn their heads and look the other way. If they wanted change. If they wanted real change then they would have to go through them to make it happen.
Change she would make sure would happen. Change that would bring justice to the city. Bring justice for the young woman that can be seen sleeping on the living room couch. Justice she deserved. Justice that he deserved.
The very same thoughts that the man holding her is silently having. Only his thoughts were slightly different. Only his thoughts were plagued with their future. A future that looked so close but at the same time so far away.
A future where neither of them would ever have to go back out onto the streets. A future where they would own their own house. Their own place to call their own.
A future where Laurel would be holding their baby in her arms with nothing but a smile across her face as she stares out towards the sunset. A future he had never thought was possible.
Never thought he would get to ever have these moments. Never get to hold her again just like this. Never get to see her smile again. Never get to spend another moment with her.
But he did. He fought through hell. He had fought through hell to make it back to her. He had faced his worst fears and came out on top. And now nothing would get in his way. Nothing would get in his way of their future.
Not The Triad. Not his mother. Not anything that the city would throw at them. Nobody.
Letting out a sigh as she leans back relaxing into Oliver's embrace to only feel him gently resting his head on her shoulder leaning over Laurel gently rests her head against his own as she opens her eyes to look out towards the city.
" You know that we are in way over our heads right?"
Feeling Oliver nodding his head gently against her own slowly reaching down as she takes his hands within her own to only interlock their fingers together gently Laurel gives his hands a squeeze.
" Yeah but Thea's right. It's not us to back down from a fight. Even if it is an uphill battle. It's not who we are."
Nodding her head as she gently gives Oliver's hands a squeeze slowly as a small shine coming from her engagement ring catches her eye a small smile forms across Laurel's face.
" Ollie?"
" Hmm?"
" Let's get married. This weekend."
Turning her head as she sees Oliver staring directly at her with a small look of shock across his face slowly turning in his embrace gently Laurel releases Oliver's hands to only gently wrap them around the back of his neck as she feels his hands gently wrapping around her waist.
" Are you sure? Is that what you want?"
With her smile only widening as she nods her head leaning forward Laurel gently rests her forehead against Oliver's own.
" I'm sure. I just want it to be the two of us. Somewhere away from this place to let us relax for a while. We can come back after more focused and ready to go head first into this."
Slowly as she watches a smile starting to form across his face with her own only widening leaning forward Laurel captures Oliver's lips for a gentle kiss.
" So where do you want to go?"
" Some place warm. Some place that it can be just the two of us for a while. No cameras. No media circus. Just us."
With a smile forming across his face as he lets out a silent chuckle Oliver watches Laurel slowly raise up an eyebrow up towards him as a smile forms across her face.
" What?"
" Oh i'm just imaging you in a tiny black bikini."
With her face breaking into a bright smile slowly lowering his head down towards her gently Laurel presses her lips to Oliver's own again before she pulls back to give him a sly smile.
" Just wait. That image is going to become a reality very soon. But in the meantime do you want to tell Speedy that her dream of us getting married is coming sooner than she thinks or do you want me to?"
" I think that you should. It would also give you time to decide with her on where you ladies would like to go."
Feeling Laurel nodding her head against his own as he feels her gently pecking him on the lips before she slowly moves away to make her way inside without taking his eyes away Oliver watches with a smile across his face as Laurel quietly makes his way over towards Thea.
Quietly watches as his fiance gently shakes his little sister's shoulders to see the later attempting to suw away the former when suddenly as he sees Thea snapping her eyes open with a wide smile across her face as she sits upright with lightening fast speed just a mere second after he sees Laurel leaning down to whisper something into her ear Oliver lets out a chuckle before his smile widens when he sees Thea pulling Laurel into an embrace.
An embrace that only makes his smile widen as at that moment he silently makes a promise to them. The promise that he will do everything in his power to ensure they would have the lives that they deserved or die trying.
Author's Notes:
Timelord2162- Actually i am using a lot of things that they have done in the comics only making them appear slightly different in this story. For example Oliver still calls Laurel pretty bird like he had done in the comics. One thing that i did do different was how Oliver's right arm had been damaged. In one universe Oliver had his arm cut off by Superman. Another had it being cut off when it had been trapped between a steel door with a bomb about to go off. In this story i had it being severely damaged by Deathstroke. One wrong move and it could be damaged even more.
Thank you about Sara comments. Her character has been changed a ton compared to what she was on the show. I hope it is to yours and everyone else's liking.
WinterRain36- Thea def had a strong reaction to what had been revealed to her. As with Sara when it came to Thea's character i changed it around quite a bit. She is fiercely loyal and protective towards her loved ones. She also has a more of a comedy side to her but in this case she is a force not to reckon with when it comes to her family.
OTPGalore17- Honestly it when i get on a roll then there is no stopping me. Out of the DC Universe heroes Black Canary is easily my favorite so i'm also more motivated in writing this story since it has my favorite character in it.
Any story is always good no matter what some reviewers might say. You get to see different ideas other writers have see come to life. Personally i like to read anything that is Oliver/Laurel story when it comes to the Arrowverse but have in the past if a new character that is being written has an interesting background then i can be drawn in. But that's just me personally and thank you for the compliment.
Nightwing2013- When it came to Sin at first she wasn't going to be in the story and here is why. Sin in the comic books was actually Oliver's and Laurel's daughter. For some reason they included her in the show briefly in the second season to be a spy for Sara. With how the story is painting Starling City into a much darker image than it was on the show i wanted Sin to have a more realistic uprising. She was according to the show a girl that lost both her parents very early on in her life while growing up in The Glades. She would be depressed and would need something to take the edge off for a time so i made her this way. I hope that makes sense.
Naitch03- A part of that is true. With Laurel she was basically on a war path and was only seeing red when she went to visit Moira. Maybe Walter is being held hostage by Malcolm? Maybe not? Maybe it's by some else? You will have to wait and see. The most i can say about this is to ensure that Moira gets the message to obey and do what she is told.
As for Felicity she is done with this story. She was only making a cameo like how intended in the show before they screwed it all up turning it into what is now The Felicity and Friends show.
hotkillerz- Well in the show they referred to Sara as The White Canary. In this story she may or may not be referred to as that. As i explained in another author's notes The White Canary was a villain in the comics. She was a total mystery other than the fact that she was The Black Canary's greatest rival. It's a wait and see approach.
red lighting- I agree but there is good times ahead for her.
highlander348- The hits do keep coming for Thea but this time it's different. In the show she had nobody that would comfort her. In this story she has Oliver and Laurel. Their bond in this story is much stronger than it was in the show.
You will have to wait and see what Sara's end game truly is. I will be updating ruffly every week unless i get on another roll like i did last week with 5 chapters coming out quickly.
Pootamis
