I do bring in Hawkeye into this story. Forgive me if I don't write him the way you think I should. I started using him to move the story along, and then I kind of liked it and expanded his role. There's also a hint of Agents of Shield in this update. Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Bad News

******Corto Maltese*****

Clint sipped his iced tea, watching Thea Queen interact with the customers. He'd been coming to the outdoor café for a week now. He supposed his instructions from Steve only required a day to check that she was okay. However, he kept coming back because things didn't add up. He pretended to be a lazy trust fund thirty-something, looking for a distraction before he tried his next failed business. He flirted lightly with Thea and chatted with the locals. In no way did he come across as a threat or even reasonably intelligent. Natasha always got a kick out of this particular legend.

Thea didn't have his experience, so her carefree persona didn't hold up under real scrutiny. However, he knew enough to know that she wasn't completely faking it. A part of her genuinely liked being around people, yet there was a pain that flashed in her eyes every so often when she became lost in memories. Clint knew the look. He followed her to where she was staying. The huge mansion was something the former trust fund backed Thea Queen might've stayed in. It wasn't something she could afford now based on her Starling City bank account. At first, Clint thought it might've belonged to her stepfather, but the records didn't show that.

It had taken him a few days to uncover the paper trail. Eventually, though, he'd discovered that the place belonged to Malcolm Merlyn's estate. Steve hadn't mentioned that she was embracing her biological father's financial legacy—not that he necessarily blamed her. She wasn't used to a life of poverty, which to the uber-rich would be middle class.

What really made Clint not leave after confirming she was okay was the way she carried herself. It was so unexpected. She reminded him too much of Natasha when she walked. There was a heightened vigilance to her that shouldn't be there, but she had no criminal history or rough violent childhood like Natasha. She had no training like Oliver Queen, yet she walked like one who knew how to make her body a weapon. It both confused and intrigued him.

When she came over to top off his tea, she smiled warmly.

"Aren't you sick of this tea yet?" Thea asked him as she poured the tea.

"Nah, it's nice," he said, giving her an easy smile. "Besides, I like the view." He winked at her.

She laughed. "I bet you say that to all your hot waitresses," she replied.

"Only the ones with wounded eyes," he said, dropping his wastrel persona for a moment. Their eyes connected, and hers widened in surprise.

Thea finally looked at the man who'd been coming into her café the past week. After the pain of Roy's betrayal, she hadn't allowed herself to look twice at any man. This man was both built like Roy and about his size. However, he was at least a decade or so older than both of them. At his comment, she took the time to really look into his eyes. For the first time, she realized he wasn't acting like the carefree trust fund baby she'd taken him for. Those eyes—they held a wealth of secrets. Their penetrating gaze seemed to strip her away, and the experience left her shaken. When shaken, Thea inevitably went on the offensive.

"Who are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Clint decided the need for secrecy was up. "A friend of your brother's," he said. Then he smiled. "Well, I've not actually met your brother. However, he's close friends with someone I care about, and she will do anything to make sure he's happy. It's time to come home, Thea."

Thea couldn't have been more surprised if Clint had grabbed her and kissed her. Her once popular brother used to have countless friends. Now, however, he wasn't the playboy he used to be. Tommy was dead, and he and Laurel were not a couple. She frowned in confusion. "You're friends with one of the Lance sisters?" she asked, assuming it was Sara.

He shook his head. "No, Felicity Smoak. She's related to a close friend and currently dating another," he said. He waited to see if Thea would make the connection.

Thea had kept herself away from any news from home. Although she knew the former IT girl was often by her brother's side, she hadn't realized they were so close. Instead, she'd suspected she might've been her brother's lover, but not one her brother cared enough about to introduce as his girlfriend. To hear that not only wasn't she, but that she had connections enough to track Thea down disturbed her. She knew it would upset her father. Possibly enough to kill this man, who still seemed harmless.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what game you're playing, but it's not safe to hang around me," she said. "Bad things happen. I'm fine. I've told my brother that. I'll come home when I'm ready."

"Fair enough," Clint acknowledged. "I'll leave as soon as you answer a question."

"You can ask," Thea said. Of course, it didn't mean she'd answer. However, his question caught her off guard.

"Why do you move like a fighter?" he asked, all attempts at pretense gone.

"What-what?" she stammered.

"My best friend is a female, and a deadly woman," he said, trying to shake her up enough to reveal something. "The way you carry yourself reminds me of her."

This was not a question Thea had expected—ever. There was no way she could answer completely honest, but she'd discovered a bit of truth with a lie was most effective. "I've been taking some self-defense classes. I'm sure you've heard about the insanity that went down in Starling City before I left. I was jumped by one of those goons before leaving town. I'd probably be dead if someone hadn't intervened. I never want to be that helpless again," she shared.

Clint nodded, thoughtful. Her response seemed sincere. And yet…there had to be something else. Thea had never traveled alone in her life. Not only was she in a foreign county by herself, but she was taking lessons in self-defense. A scared woman would never do such a thing in a foreign land. "Who's training you?" he asked.

"Just some guy I hired when I got to town," she lied. "He seems competent enough."

"I happen to be an expert in self-defense and every kind of weaponry," he shared, abandoning his legend completely.

Thea snorted. "Yeah, right," she scoffed.

He held out his hand. "I guess there's no real need for secrecy," he said. "I'm Clint Barton. Many people call me Hawkeye."

Thea's eyes widened as it finally registered. She and Roy used to argue about which Avenger was the best. Roy had a huge crush on the Black Widow—a fact Thea had found hilarious. A woman like that wouldn't give him the time of day. Thea had no idea that her ex and brother were now very much in contact with most of the Avengers. "Who is Felicity Smoak dating?" she asked, trying to understand.

Clint smirked. "Steve Rogers. Her cousin is Pepper Potts," he replied.

Thea's mind was racing. It seemed she knew next to nothing about her brother's life. The thought filled her with familiar bitterness. However, her greatest concern was how her father would react if he knew that one of the Avengers was on their doorstep. Would he try to eliminate the threat? Could she talk him out of it if he was set on that? Would he risk the scrutiny of SHIELD? It might officially be dismantled, but Thea had learned from her father that you could never count a person or group out completely. She had to find out more about the Avenger in front of her. Did he know her father was alive? If he did, there was no telling how her father would react.

"Damn," she said, smiling. "I guess Felicity is full of surprises. My brother doesn't like to share, though. I can't imagine he likes a stronger and better-looking man sniffing around his assistant."

Clint shrugged. "It doesn't matter what he likes. But from what I've been told, your brother mostly cares about keeping the women he loves happy and safe. Felicity couldn't be more of both. It's you he's sick with worry about," Clint stated.

Thea ignored the guilt his words invoked since her brother was the king of secrets. He'd been lying to her since he'd come back from that island. She shrugged. "As you can see and tell him, I'm fine," she said.

"I'd feel better saying that if you showed me what you've learned to protect yourself," Clint said.

Thea wasn't sure how her dad would feel about that; however, she couldn't think of a reason to deny his request. Besides, it was her turn to find out what else he knew. If he knew about her father's real presence in her life, it would change everything. "I guess you could come by my place tonight," she said.

"Inviting a stranger into your home? Is that a good idea?" he asked.

"I have guards," she said flatly. "And you're not exactly a stranger. You're practically a family friend." She smirked at him and went to take care of a new customer.

Clint grinned at her, finding her amusing. "I'll find out your secrets, little Queen. All of them," he said softly.

He didn't know that he was being watched. Malcolm Merlyn lifted his cell phone and snapped a picture. One of Thea's guards told him that the same man had been returning all week, flirting with his daughter. The rage and possessiveness he'd felt at the news had taken him off guard. Having a daughter was so much different than a son. Not only was his daughter much stronger than his son had ever been, but she was also more fragile. He'd been working for months to break away that vulnerability. There were too many things that could harm a defenseless woman in the world. No one and nothing would ever hurt his little girl.

The man was too insane to acknowledge that he himself was the greatest threat to her.

*****New York City*****

Natasha bit her lip to keep the words back as she listened to Fury on the phone. "I realize that, sir. Of course, I trust Coulson. I'm pissed that you knew he was alive and didn't tell us. I don't like lying to Tony and Steve," she said. She listened to his reply. "Well, I don't think they'll see it that way. Besides, the report you sent me doesn't convince me he's safe. You don't keep an operative like Ward in your house even under lock and key. He'll destroy the house as soon as he can." Fury tried to reassure her. "Okay, well, if you need me to help them out, just let me know. I'm not doing anything I can't put down right now. We haven't been able to spot the Winter Solider again. Steve and I caught up to him once, but he's still not ready to come back into the fold. He answers to Bucky now, so he's gotten some of his memory back...Yes, I told Steve I'd let him know...Okay, sir. Be careful."

She hung up, frustrated. Fury was like a father to her, but sometimes Natasha felt that he took too much on himself. He'd been lying to them all for months as he knew Coulson was alive. He knew how much the agent meant to all the Avengers, and it wasn't convenient to his plan to let them in on his resurrection. It pissed her off, too, that Coulson went along with it. Natasha had thought he was more than just a good little soldier. Her phone rang again.

"Clint, what news do you have?" she asked.

"I've made contact with Thea Queen," he said. "I got an invite to her home. She tells me she's learning self-defense. I find that odd."

"Why? Girls can be deadly," Natasha said.

He snorted. "Yes, Nat, I know. But this spoiled princess is a far cry from you. She's in a foreign country. She's not even twenty-one yet. It doesn't add up. The way she moves..." his voice trailed off.

"Do you have a thing for Oliver's sister? 'Cause I can't imagine that will go over well with him," she said with a knowing chuckle.

"She's a kid," he replied dismissively. "But she reminds me of you. Something's off."

"So you've said," Natasha said. Clint was convinced something was going on with Oliver's sister. Since Natasha had unresolved feelings for the vigilante, she hadn't discouraged his inquiry. "Let me know if you find out anything."

"I should soon. I'm going to her house tonight," he shared.

"Be a gentleman," she warned.

Her warning came as a surprise to Clint. Natasha was far from a prude. "Why do you care?" he asked bluntly.

She was silent. Clint knew her too well. "Just keep me in the loop," she said before disconnecting.

Back in Corto Maltese, Clint frowned down at the silent phone. His partner cared a little too much about this Queen. Why? Then he thought about a remark Steve had made and laughed. His girl might've met her match.

*****A Week Later****

Clint frowned as he stared up at the darkened house. He'd been coming to Thea's place the past week, training her. The girl had some moves. Moves that didn't compute with some guy training her. She tried to make out like it was one of her guards, but he didn't buy it. She kept trying to find out his secrets. Clint laughed at her not so subtle attempts to get information at him. A time or two, however, she'd seemed genuinely concerned about him. Something was off. Now she was gone and hadn't said a word to him. None of her guards were there, so he knocked on the door. After a long moment, an older woman answered. It was Thea's housekeeper.

"Is Thea Queen home?" Clint asked.

"No. She not," the woman said and shut the door promptly.

Clint frowned. How did she slip out so easily? Why didn't she tell him that she wasn't going to be home? He needed to find her before something happened. He'd grown fond of the relentless girl. She had grit. She was determined to best him at hand to hand. It was laughable, but he admired her determination. He hoped she just went on a shopping trip that she forgot to mention. If she didn't return in a day or so, he'd have to let her brother know what was going on. For some reason, that thought didn't feel him with eagerness.

*****Starling City*****

Felicity's face flushed with happiness at their success. She and Oliver had just launched a new and improved Applied Science division. She'd pouched one of her friends from MIT from Luthercorp. It had filled her with immense satisfaction. Now they just needed to get the mayor to approve the new name change of Starling City, so their PR team could begin packaging a new recruitment pitch.

"We should go out and celebrate!" she enthused.

Oliver smiled warmly at her. He loved when she was like this. The light inside her burned even brighter. It always filled him with warmth. "Sure," he said. "I'll call Dig and Roy."

"I'm thinking Italian," she said.

"Works for me," he replied.

"You should invite Laurel," Felicity suggested, surprising him. Laurel had been suitably humbled by the revelation that Felicity was highly connected and loved by Captain America. However, Oliver sensed a tension between them whenever Laurel was around.

"Really?" he asked.

"This isn't just my success, it's ours, and she's your friend," Felicity said. "Besides, you've been spending too much time alone since Sara left town."

Oliver's eyebrow rose in surprise. "You're not suggesting I pick back up with the other sister, are you? I think that would be too much for even me," he said with a grimace.

"If that would make you happy, I'd be fine with it," she answered honestly. "But I don't think Laurel will ever be that girl for you."

"Why's that?" he asked, curious.

"She doesn't like me," she said smugly. Then she laughed. "No, seriously, it's because your history with her will always taint things. No sane woman will ever forget you've been so close to her sister. It's beyond icky."

"Gee, don't hold back," he said dryly.

"You asked!" she exclaimed.

"So what kind of girl do you see me with?" he asked. A part of him had begun to see Felicity in his future. She knew and understood him better than any woman he'd ever known. However, he'd let go of that. Having her as family was enough.

"Someone strong like Sara but not as damaged or broken. Someone that can make you smile and call you on your bullshit," Felicity said, surprising him. "Someone not insane like other women you've dated!"

Oliver winced, knowing she was talking about the Huntress. "Well, it'll be a while before I'm ready for a woman like that," he said.

"You never know. Love can always surprise you," she said confidently.

He gave her an indulgent smile. His girl Wednesday had really blossomed since she fell for Captain America. "I think you would know more about that than I," he said. He pulled out his phone. "I'll make us some reservations."

Several hours later, they were all at a round table enjoying pasta and in Roy's case, pizza. John and Roy were regaling them with the tale of the two would be thieves they'd thwarted earlier in the day.

"So I'm standing there with the bow pointed right out the moron, and he looked confused," Roy said laughing. "He was like 'Why do you have one of those?' His partner in crime started yelling about the Arrow, but he was too stupid to get it."

"He was still trying to figure it out when I came up behind him and knocked him out," John said with a grin. "You gotta love the dumb ones. Makes our job easier."

"Yes, I've run into a few that have asked me why I carry a shield instead of a gun," Steve shared, smiling. He'd grown fond of Felicity's friends. They'd welcomed him into their fold fairly easily. The fact they all were protective of his girl was in their favor.

"At least you guys get to see some action. I'm stuck at the desk bored out of my mind," Layla complained. "Amanda is still pissed that I got pregnant. She may have me riding a desk for the next year."

"That works for me!" John said smugly.

Laurel, Felicity, and Layla all shot him a glare. "Someone's in trouble!" Roy said with a snicker.

"Women can be just as effective in the field as a man," Laurel said hotly. She gave Oliver a pointed look. "That's why you should train me!"

"Never going to happen," Oliver said flatly.

Steve frowned. "Hasn't your dad given you self-defense lessons?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "But I want to fight like Sara."

"Sara has years of training by expert assassins," Oliver said. "She would never want you anywhere near the kind of people who trained her. She'd never forgive me if you got hurt, and I'd never forgive myself."

Laurel glared. "I'm an adult and not your concern or responsibility," she insisted.

"Yes, to all three. You may be an adult, but I am both concerned and responsible.," Oliver said. "I don't train Felicity, and I won't either. The idea of either of you fighting the scum we deal with makes me physically ill."

While Steve didn't disagree with that thought, he also didn't think a man had a right to keep a woman defenseless and dependent. "If Felicity wanted to learn, I'd train her," Steve said. "A man shouldn't keep a woman defenseless."

Both Laurel and Felicity beamed in approval at him. Oliver frowned. "Felicity is far from defenseless," he said defensively.

"I've shown her basic self-defense," John said.

"I just don't have the focus or desire to commit to all that exercise," Felicity said with a shudder, causing everyone to laugh.

"Well, I do!" Laurel exclaimed. She gave Steve a pleading look. "Would you train me?"

When Oliver opened his mouth to protest, Felicity elbowed him. "Not your place, Oliver," she whispered. "Laurel is not your sister or your girlfriend."

Oliver glared at her, but she didn't back down. He gave her a betrayed look. However, she just smiled and patted his hand, making him want to scream.

"I'm training the rookies and a few veterans at the precinct," Steve shared. "Since you're the Captain's daughter, I'm sure he won't mind if you join the class."

"If he does, you can always use our place, right, Oliver?" Felicity said, giving Oliver her sweetest smile.

He looked glum but resigned. The woman's smile should be registered a lethal weapon. He was powerless to deny her when she smiled like that.

"Fine," he said grimly.

Roy snickered. "Man, you are so whipped!" Roy exclaimed, earning him several glares and a head slap from Oliver.

"No, Oliver's just not stupid. He knows that if he stubbornly gets in the way of Laurel's desire to protect himself, she could go to less savory characters, which could lead to bad things," Felicity said calmly.

"Not to mention, it's none of his business!" Laurel said in annoyance.

The argument was interrupted by Felicity's phone beeping. She answered it when she saw it was Captain Lance. "Captain, what's up?" she said.

"Felicity, do you know where Laurel is? She's not answering her phone," he said, sounding upset.

"Yes, she's here with us. We're having dinner," Felicity answered. She put her hand over the phone to tell the table, "It's Captain Lance."

"I need you to bring her to the precinct right away," he said. "Don't say anything to her. I need to tell her myself."

"Tell her what? What's happened?" Felicity asked in concern. She'd never heard that tone from him before.

"It-it's Sara," he said, stumbling over the words as he tried to keep back the sob that threatened. "Two of my patrol men came across her in an alley."

"Is she okay?" Felicity asked, feeling sick.

"No, she's not," he said hollowly. "She's dead."

Felicity put her hand over her mouth in horror. Steve didn't know what news she was getting, but he could tell it was bad. He put his arm around her. Everyone was tense and waiting for her to hang up.

"We'll be there soon," she said, hanging up. She tried to keep the tears back but failed miserably.

"What's wrong?" Oliver demanded. "Who's hurt?"

Felicity's eyes inevitably went to Laurel's. Captain Lance should be the one to tell her, but Laurel had spent too many years in a courtroom. She knew when something was up. She also knew when the news was bad—very bad.

"It's Sara, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Felicity nodded, the tears spilling out. "Something's happened," she said, getting up. "We have to go to the precinct."

The fact that she said precinct and not hospital told everyone but Roy what had happened.

"She's dead, isn't she?" Laurel demanded.

Felicity glanced at Oliver, who looked braced for a blow. Her heart broke for him. They'd lost her once already. How could fate be so cruel?

She took a deep breath. "Yes," she answered, shattering their world.

*****Chapter End*****