May 25, 2013:

In the beginning, Oliver had justified his killings with the excuse that it was only temporary. He hadn't come back to Star City to fight crime on its streets – just right his father's wrongs and go after the members of the List.

He doesn't know if he'd ever really believed himself, but he'd told himself that once he was done with the List he would hang up the bow and the hood and give up the life he was forced into on Lian Yu (and after). That by then, he'd be able to set aside the monster under his skin.

It hadn't been meant to be permanent. Or rather, some part of Oliver had always thought it would be too permanent, in the most final of ways. He'd never really believed he'd live through it.

But he has, and it is permanent now. Or, if not permanent, long-term at the very least. He's given up killing in the pursuit of justice, he's helped to stop the Undertaking, and he's working on a different way of saving his city. It's not about his father's wrongs anymore (though he'd be fooling himself if he says it's not still about his own, about the anger that still runs deep in him and the killer lurking under the surface).

He's been out on the streets over a week now with this new mindset (with Malcolm Merlyn dead and his mother behind bars) but his different tactics as the Green Arrow are not the only thing to change with the end of the Undertaking.

Oliver feels… different. Lighter, almost. He's not unburdened – he can't ever forget his past – but his father's mistakes have been corrected. And with his new approach to vigilantism also comes a new approach with regards to his friends and family.

As he'd neared the end, Oliver had meant to hang up the hood after the Undertaking, to return to them in a way he couldn't during his mission. He's not planning that anymore, having seen the way he can help the people of Star City, but it doesn't mean he has to ignore them the same way he has been the past eight months. He'll never be the man they lost, that man – boy – is long dead, but he can be something else, for them. His victory gives him the strength to push the monster aside for hours at a time, however much he is still keenly aware of the beast that lurks under his skin.

Oliver doesn't deserve the fragile peace the Undertaking's end has granted him but he's going to seize it anyway.

Forgoing his usual spoiled playboy persona, Oliver corrals everyone together for the Rockets game early and they show up to the stadium before much of the crowd. He hasn't forgone everything that makes him a Queen – ever mindful of how he appears to the public, they arrive in a limo, and their tickets are good ones, even if they're not box seats – but he and his friends are dressed casually and on time. They're not here to make a spectacle. It's time for a new him, and maybe a real life (somewhat, with the Green Arrow still a part of it. Oliver can't ever forget the blood on his hands).

Thankfully, after their fundraiser event, everyone present has already met everyone else, so Roy doesn't look too awkward in the back of the limo with them and nobody raises an eyebrow at the inclusion of Felicity.

Digg, playing his role, drops them off in front before leaving to park the car, and the six of them make their way into the stadium. Roy is looking around curiously, with a small amount of wonder, and Oliver knows from seeing him that he's never been to a game before, even if Roy is hiding his reactions well. Tommy is about as far away from Oliver as he can get, with Thea and Roy and Laurel between them, and he's holding Laurel's hand, but he's not leaning away, not working too hard to avoid Oliver's eye. When he catches Oliver glancing his way he gives a strained smile in response. (He's trying.)

Felicity walks on the other side of Oliver, also gazing around curiously. She's been to a game before, Oliver bets, but it's probably not her thing and it's probably been awhile.

It's been awhile for Oliver too, but he doesn't have much of a sense of wonder anymore. Instead, despite the fact that they've arrived before much of the crowd, his senses and paranoia are on high alert. It would be so easy for anyone to conceal a weapon and this is exactly the sort of atmosphere where bumping into someone accidentally (slipping a knife between ribs, Oliver's suspicious side whispers to him) isn't at all out of place. Even as he watches his friends, Oliver's eyes scan the crowd around them.

Despite the fact that the criminals from the fundraiser had mostly seemed to be after him (and perhaps Tommy) it'll be hard for him to let anyone out of his sight.

But they're in a public area, and they're not surrounded by people who have suffered at the hands of their families. No one else (except for maybe Quentin or Walter or Carly) even knew they were coming here. Oliver tells himself all of this more than once, trying to get his paranoia to relax. (It only slightly works).

Nevertheless, he enjoys the game, for the most part. The crack of the bat makes him visibly stiffen the first time he hears it, but only Digg notices and Oliver manages to hide his reactions after that. It's not the most pleasant circumstances, crowded and loud in a place where everybody knows his name and stops to stare, but it's the best company Oliver could have asked for.

And not only does Oliver enjoy it, but he can tell the others are relaxing as well. There is laughter and wide smiles between the occasional awkward pauses. Tommy and Felicity take to each other like fire and gasoline, for the first time able to have a conversation about something other than the Arrow. Laurel and Thea and Felicity bond together in a way that Oliver has only ever seen a group of girls do. Roy is hesitant and apprehensive at first, but he opens up and gains enthusiasm as the game continues.

Oliver sits quietly for the most part, watching his friends. His friends, alive and whole and happy. Some of the stress Thea and Tommy have been under seems to disappear slightly. After the first couple innings, Felicity and Diggle stop shooting him worried looks, as though afraid he's going to bolt at any second.

Thea and Tommy, Laurel and Felicity, Diggle and Roy. Oliver can't relax, not really, but for the first time in a long time, he finds himself wanting to. To completely let his guard down, to be himself. For the first time, he considers telling those who don't already know about his identity as the Arrow.

He can trust these people, all six of them, and that is a marvel that Oliver can't quite comprehend. He can trust each and every one of them, even if he hasn't quite put that knowledge to use yet. But trusting someone not to stab you in the back isn't the same as trusting them with the secret of all the destruction he's wrought. It's selfish, but he's not ready to spoil any more relationships at the moment.

Still, though the Glades were almost destroyed and his mother is in jail and Malcolm is dead, for the first time in the months since he'd returned – between going after the List and working to stop the Undertaking and doubting his mother's motives and adapting to the changes in his friends – for the first time, Oliver thinks of Star City as home.

He doesn't want to lose this. (Knowing him, he probably will anyway, so he's going to enjoy every second of it that he gets and prepare for the worst.)


May 26, 2013, early evening:

The game helps Thea's mood, but she still barely talks to Oliver, or spends time in the mansion. She even barely talks with her friends from school, regulating her company to only Roy and him and occasionally Laurel, who sometimes shows up to drag Thea from her bed or just keep her company.

She's improving, but there's more that Oliver can do to help her. He stops asking her to visit their mother, saving his requests for a later date, when she's more willing. He tries to spend more time with her. He texts Laurel when she's in a particularly bad mood (that seems to be the only time he and Laurel really talk: when they're trying to help Thea and Tommy through this).

Thea is angry, furious with the world, and with their mother in particular. She doesn't understand, can't understand, won't let herself understand what would drive Moira to such actions. Some days she is calm, others, after running across another news article or a particularly nasty social media post against the Queens, she lashes out. She'd helped out with the charity event, for Oliver and Tommy, but otherwise wants nothing to do with Queen Consolidated.

But the problem is, Oliver doesn't know his sister, hasn't let himself back into her life the way he should have, and now it's too late. He helps where he can, but, luckily, aside from Laurel and Tommy (who has his own problems at the moment), he can think of one other person who had been there for Thea when he hadn't.


"Oliver, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Walter asks pleasantly in surprise as he opens his door. "Is there new news about Queen Consolidated?"

Oliver offers his (ex?) stepfather a small smile, but he keeps his expression serious. "I wanted to talk to you about Thea," he says. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Walter steps aside, brow furrowing in concern. "Is Thea alright?"

As Walter shuts his door behind him, Oliver wonders if he expects Oliver to answer that question honestly. Their mother is in jail for conspiracy to commit murder – mass murder – and Thea refuses to visit her. All their talk about the business and how to manage it and who to manage it and they've never once brought up Thea.

He decides to ignore the question and jump straight into the uncomfortable topic he's come to discuss.

"I understand why you left my mother Walter," he starts.

Walter shifts uncomfortably. "Oliver," he tries to start.

"No, listen. I understand Walter, and I do think it was the best thing you could have done for yourself, but I'm not here about you, I'm here about Thea. She lost her mother, and she thinks she's lost you too."

Now Walter looks decidedly uncomfortable.

"I'm not blaming you, Walter," Oliver continues. "You need space away – that's fine. Space away from my mom, space away from the mansion – but not space away from Thea. I haven't been there for her, the past few years. You were."

"Oliver I…" Walter sighs. "You're right. I needed space and I took too much of it."

"You've been extremely helpful with Queen Consolidated, and I understand that you're busy, but Thea needs someone. Someone other than me right now." (Someone other than Roy.)

Walter deflates. "Of course." He pauses, then smiles fondly, no doubt at some memory of Thea. "I just wasn't sure if she'd be… comfortable, giving the timing of my exit."

Oliver can't believe that he's the one about to give this advice but… "Comfortable or not Walter, you need to talk with her."

Silence falls as Walter can only nod in reply.

"How are you doing?" Oliver asks sincerely after a moment. It's another question he hasn't even thought about asking the past few weeks, and he chides himself mentally for his lapse. He's supposed to be trying to be a better friend and while Walter may never be a father figure to him, he is a mentor of sorts.

Walter opens his mouth, no doubt about to spout out some nonsense statement about doing fine, then pauses as he no doubt considers who he's talking to. "Adjusting," he admits. He hesitates again. "I cried the first time I got to take a real shower."

Oliver can remember his first shower off-island, but that had been in Hong Kong, under the watchful eyes of ARGUS. He hadn't trusted his jailers and hadn't allowed himself the luxury of a long shower, despite how good it had felt. He'd rushed through it, worried about the guards just outside his door. Still, he understands the sentiment.

He nods. "And the food?"

Walter looks at him as though he's seeing him for the first time. "Also an adjustment. Sugary foods are a bit too much for me these days." He pauses, and Oliver can practically see the wheels turning in his brain as a vaguely horrified expression creeps over Walter's face. "Your first meal back, we didn't even think–"

Oliver stops him before he can go any further. "It was fine, Walter," he says. Truthfully it had been a bit rich, but he hadn't eaten much anyway. He'd found out about Walter sleeping with his mother then, a truth he doesn't have a problem with now – Walter's a good man – though it had bothered him at the time. "It was a long way back to America and I had time to ease into it." Plus, he hadn't spent the entire five years living off the wild plants and animals on Lian Yu.

"Thank you, for this talk Oliver."

Oliver looks over his ex-stepfather and starts making his way back to the front door (he hasn't stepped far from it). "I told you, anytime Walter." Despite his reluctance to talk about the island, he means it wholeheartedly. If their shared experiences (no matter how different they actually were) help Walter get through this, then it's worth it.


June, 2013:

And life… moves on. Clean-up continues in the Glades, with the Arrow making frequent appearances in the late hours of the days and early hours of the mornings to dissuade criminals or stop them in their tracks. Moira gets moved to where she'll be staying until the trial and Oliver meets twice with her lawyer to talk about their options. (Thea still hasn't gone to see her).

Verdant reopens, Tommy sells Merlyn Global, and Queen Consolidated gets the word out about their rebranding efforts as they narrow down the selection for their new CEO. (Stock prices don't exactly soar, but they stabilize and slowly start to inch back upward. Talk of a buy-out starts to fade.)

Oliver Queen makes a public appearance, condemning the attack on the Glades with Tommy and Thea at his sides. After the dinner at Verdant, he hosts a food drive, donates money to a prominent local construction company, and generally tries to show the public that Oliver has changed after the Undertaking (never mind that the change had occurred long before then).

There are other people besides Oliver working to make a difference. An alderman from the Glades starts speaking up, an anonymous donor contributes funds to a new library. The SCPD rearranges their vigilante task force to work with him – they're still instructed to bring him in if they can, he's a wanted murderer after all, but it's no longer their main goal. They start to take his information as truth, even if they don't like him.

Thea spends a lot of time with Roy, in the Glades, searching for something to do with herself. Laurel continues her work at CNRI, and continues helping people in need.

Certain things aren't perfect – Thea won't even talk about their mother, let alone go see her, and Tommy still hesitates when talking to him, often avoiding eye contact – but other things seem to be going exactly Oliver's way. Walter's giving him good advice, and the board actually seems to be listening to him. He and Diggle and Felicity have really solidified as a team, falling into their roles as soon as they get to the foundry – often together. Sometimes they get dinner together beforehand. Sometimes, if they stay up late, they stop somewhere for breakfast in the morning. Even Lance seems more amenable to the Green Arrow, though he still keeps his gun ready whenever they're in the same vicinity. (And Oliver keeps an eye on Roy as well – he hasn't stopped his search for the Green Arrow.)

Superman stops by once more, and Oliver teaches him how to fall properly.

It's a new sort of life, but Oliver knows better than to get used to it, to get too attached to this different way of living. Something will screw it up eventually, probably him. That's just the way his life works. (But he really doesn't want to lose this. He'll fight for it with every breath in his body, even if he won't let himself adjust.)


July 5, 2013, morning:

Oliver reaches the ground level of Verdant at just after six in the morning on July fifth, walking amongst the red, white, and blue confetti that liters the floor. The place is a mess, even more so than usual, and though Oliver had put in a cursory fourth of July party appearance, he hadn't lingered long.

Now the place is all but empty – even the janitors have a delayed start time. They won't be around for a while.

But the place isn't completely empty. Oliver weaves his way among tables and overturned stools, making his way to the bar where Tommy is straightening glasses.

He approaches hesitantly, delicately, not willing to startle his best friend. Two months later, Tommy is still adjusting.

"Sorry," he says softly, "I know I said I'd help out more…"

But Tommy looks up, meeting his gaze, and Oliver stops himself from spilling the excuses on his tongue. This is Tommy – he knows exactly what Oliver was doing.

"Crowd control?" he asks, but it's different than usual.

The disdain Oliver has learned to brace for isn't there anymore. The slight hesitation when they talk about Oliver's vigilante activities is gone, and Tommy seems almost genuinely curious.

Oliver lets his body visibly relax, offers up a small smile, and nods. "It was crazier than I expected out there," he admits.

And then comes the hesitation as Tommy flounders, unsure of where to go from there. Except, after only a brief pause, Tommy speaks again. "Felicity and Digg go home already?"

Oliver takes the offering for what it is. He nods, light and easy. "Digg spent the night with family," he admits, going for honesty, unwilling to hide these small details. "Felicity left around one in the morning – she has work today."

Tommy's reaction isn't what he expects. Oliver's friend blinks, pausing in his movements, and meets his gaze. "You mean, you were out there alone?"

Oliver lets a small frown onto his face, not quite sure what Tommy is asking. "I'm always out there alone," he says.

"No, I know," Tommy quickly returns, "I just thought…"

Still frowning, Oliver studies Tommy's face. "Thought what?" he asks, though he thinks he knows what Tommy is trying to say. "Diggle and Felicity have lives, they can't be with me every time I put on the hood."

Now Tommy studies him. "How often do you go out without, y'know," he waves his hand around vaguely, "backup?"

Oliver pauses a moment, trying to think of the proper response. In the end he settles for a shrug. It's not like he keeps track, and though Felicity and Digg have both been on his case about telling them when he heads out, Oliver's on his own often enough. Felicity still has a job at Queen Consolidated, and though Diggle tends to keep similar hours to Oliver, he's got a family that needs him.

He thinks Tommy is upset about the lack of backup because he's worried about Oliver, but he could be wrong. Tommy could just be upset that Oliver doesn't have someone better than him, someone more moral and less willing to kill watching him. Oliver would dismiss that possibility with the argument that he hasn't killed anyone in a long time, but it's not true anymore, and his last victim was Tommy's father.

"Doesn't… doesn't backup help?" Tommy asks.

Oliver offers him a shrug again. "Not always," he admits. (Be honest, he has to remind himself. If Tommy's already angry at him, the least he can do is offer him the truth.) "They can't see everything that I can, usually they just let me know of any crimes in the area or where the police are." He's not much of a talker, and it feels weird to discuss his vigilante activities so frankly, out in the open, but Tommy deserves as much, and Verdant is safe.

Tommy hesitates again, his expressions revealing his inner conflict. "I… I can work a computer," he ends up saying, "next time you're alone I'll, I'll keep you company."

It's Oliver's turn to freeze. Wherever he'd thought Tommy had been going with the conversation, this hadn't been it. He shakes his head. "You don't have to do that Tommy…" he starts.

But Tommy cuts him off. "I want to," he says, more firmly than anything else he's said this morning. "You're helping people out there. I, I want to be a part of that."

Oliver pauses and thinks it over. Tommy's been downstairs more than once now, he's seen Oliver in the suit, and it's not like he's asking to join him in the field. "I'd like that," he responds honestly, and lets sincerity seep into his tone.

It's a step towards friendship, and that's more than Oliver has the right to ask for. Not after all he's done. He'll take what he can, even if that makes him selfish sometimes.

(And maybe Tommy's trying to atone too, to make up for what his father had done no matter that none of the fault was his.)


AN: Hello to old readers and new! Here's my sequel to my canon divergence AU that started with Starting Something. Stronger Together is going to be a bit different. For one, there will be a few canon scenes sprinkled throughout but most of it will be of my own creation. For two, it's going to be much, much longer. I put twenty chapters, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being forty or so, since I haven't finished outlining it much less writing it. Let me know if you think I need to add any tags.

I'll also be sticking with the method I used for the last story, where I'll be posting each chapter 'in real time'. For example, this chapter starts on May 25th, which is the date I've posted it. The next three chapters are written, and they're sort of a three-parter:
Chapter Two: A Day in the Life, Part One will be posted July 16th.
Chapter Three: A Day in the Life, Part Two will be posted July 18th.
Chapter Four: A Day in the Life, Part Three will be posted July 19th.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!