Chapter 24: Scooby-Doo, Except with More Arrows…

Guillermo Barrera exited the helicopter.

The next moment, he fell back into the doorway, an arrow in his throat.

"There's a job about to go down." Oliver mused as he handed the phone over to Kara.

"Well, we'll know who the target is within twenty-fours at least." Kara noted as she started connecting wires into the phone, and then into the computer.

Oliver leaned against another table, watching as the machine came to life and then displayed another name: Gideon. "Are you sure we shouldn't call in Barry for this?"

"Barry's busy. Gideon should be enough, anyway – you know as well as I do that Barry's been working on her for years, and now that he has access to Kryptonian technology…" Kara shrugged. "Hacking a phone, no matter how advanced the security, will be relatively easy."

"Alright." Oliver stood up and started divesting himself of his weapons. "I better get ready for Tommy's birthday party. Are you sure you don't want to come? I can assure you that Carter Bowen is most certainly not invited."

Kara waved him off. "This is more important. Besides, the kind of party Tommy is having isn't my kind of scene."

"Did you send over a gift at least?"

"It's sitting over there." She pointed out at the neatly wrapped box. "Addressed to him by both myself and Kal. Give it to him when you get there, alright?"

"Got it. And as for my gift…" he opened up a cupboard off at the side, pulling out a bottle of wine. "Châteauneuf-du-Pape, aged about ten years. Laurel-recommended. Hope he likes it."

Kara smiled. "It's the first birthday gift he's had from his best friend in a decade, Oliver. He'll love it."

Oliver arrived at Merlyn Mansion, the bottle stored in a bag and Kara's gift sitting on the side. A chauffeur was there, opening the door as he gathered up the gifts. He handed them off to another chauffeur and tipped both handsomely, before walking up the steps. All around he could see people dancing and drinking, with security dotted within the crowds to make sure things didn't get too rowdy. While Tommy had cleaned himself up and had become a respectable member of society, that didn't mean he didn't know how to loosen up and have a little fun every once in a while.

"Hey buddy!" Tommy welcomed him enthusiastically in the foyer, the party raging around him. "Glad you could make it! Where's Kara?"

Oliver chuckled and gave him a one-armed hug. "Like I was going to miss this, especially after ten years in the backlog. And as for Kara, something came up – she did, however, ask me to bring her gift to you."

"Oliver?" A vaguely familiar voice called out. Tommy turned around, allowing Oliver to catch sight of the speaker. McKenna Hall.

"McKenna! Hey." Oliver greeted her, pulling her into a brief hug. "How's it been?"

McKenna smiled. "Pretty good. I'm a detective now, for the SCPD. How about you? How's your return to civilization been?"

Oliver nodded genially. "Alright. I'm reintegrating pretty well. In fact, I just got my results for the GED Exams – I passed." He smiled brightly.

"That's great news man. This mean you're going to start the groundwork on that business of yours with Kara?" Tommy interjected.

"We're applying for the permits and everything. After that, we'll be speaking to some of the local businesses down in the Glades, asking them to relocate, offering money…It's going to take a while, but the work will all be worth it."

"Tommy! Ollie!" Laurel called out as she entered the fray. Tommy was the first to get to her, pulling into a strong hug.

"Happy Birthday, Tommy." Laurel congratulated him after they separated. "I've already handed off your gift."

"Thank you, Laurel." He stated sincerely, holding her hands and smiling at her in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable. Laurel returned his expression, though a little nervously and shakily.

Oliver put a hand on Tommy's shoulder, finally causing him to let go of her hands. As he went to greet Laurel himself, Tommy frowned slightly.

Oliver bobbed his head to the beat, half-listening to the conversation that McKenna and Laurel were having about a recent case on the news. McKenna had been the lead detective for it, and Laurel was impressed with her work, particularly the amount of evidence found. Enough for the prosecutor to throw the book at the accused with little fanfare. Tommy was beside him, nursing a drink.

"This is a good song." Oliver remarked, causing everyone's attention to turn to him. "When did it come out?"

"About five or so years ago." Laurel noted after listening to a few lyrics herself. When the song ended, a new one started up, significantly more upbeat than the previous one. "Ooh! I love this song!"

She started to sway her hips and shoulders, before laughing and dragging Oliver over to the dance floor. Oliver, caught up in the mood, didn't resist, laughing himself. McKenna watched the scene with a fond smile on her face. But when she went to comment about the adorable scene to Tommy, she stopped dead, noticing the envious look in his eyes.

"Hey, where's McKenna?" Oliver asked when he and Laurel finally left the dance floor.

Tommy shrugged. "Went to get a refill." he stated blandly.

"Speaking of drinks, I need food. Where's the buffet, Merlyn?" Laurel asked, rubbing her stomach hungrily. Tommy jabbed his thumb behind him, towards the hall leading to another room. Laurel, familiar with the layout of Merlyn Mansion, nodded her thanks and skedaddled towards the direction of the main dining room. Oliver, starving himself, went to follow her, only to stop when Tommy grabbed his elbow rather forcefully.

"What the hell, man?" Tommy whispered angrily.

"Tommy?" Oliver questioned, genuinely confused.

"You're the one who pushed me to go after Laurel, so why the hell are you putting the moves on her?"

Oliver turned around completely so he and Tommy were face-to-face, stunned. "What?"

Tommy snorted. "The way you act around each other, the amount of time you two spend together – there's something going on between you and Laurel, isn't there?"

"No, no! Tommy, we're just friends." Oliver insisted, trying to calm his best friend down.

"But you want to be more, don't you?" Tommy accused him.

Oliver hesitated slightly, before his mouth set into a firm line. "Tommy. There's nothing between Laurel and I. We're just friends, alright?"

Tommy remained stubbornly silent, slightly glaring at his oldest friend. Oliver sighed.

"C'mon, man. It's your birthday. Let's just…let's just enjoy it, alright?" Oliver gave Tommy a pleading look. Tommy remained defiant for a long moment, before all the tension melted away from him and he gave a deep sigh. Oliver, taking what he could get, grabbed Tommy by the hand and gestured back to the dining room, ignoring the conflicting thoughts raging in the back of his mind.

After the party was over, Oliver bid Tommy, Laurel, and McKenna farewell and waited for his car to arrive, deep in thought.

Do I have feelings for Laurel?

He'd be lying if he said he didn't notice how attractive Laurel was. Even before the Gambit, he wasn't blind to that. But actual feelings?

He wasn't nearly as experienced in those matters. His parents didn't have the best relationship prior to the Gambit – Oliver had walked in on enough of his father's dalliances over the years to notice. His month-long relationship with McKenna was purely physical, a fling more than anything else, and the most they did was make out. The closest he'd seen to a functioning romantic relationship in the last ten years was Slade and Shado's. And while Oliver had no doubt that his adoptive parental figures had loved each other, their relationship was hardly a conventional courtship. At least part of it was being stranded on an island and basically raising four kids together, with nary a hope of ever leaving. In that sort of stressful situation, it would've been more surprising if they hadn't latched on to one another.

The only other experience he had with the matters of genuine romance had been Barry's affection for Iris, that had stemmed from a time long before Lian Yu – perhaps from the first moment he had laid eyes on his childhood best friend. And even that was complicated in its own ways, as Barry wasn't entirely sure if his feelings for her were still romantic, especially after years of separation and how much they had both changed over that time span as a result. And even if they were, Barry had long since resolved himself not to pursue her for his own reasons.

He had no frame of reference, no clear idea of knowing if he had feelings for Laurel, but something in his gut told him that it was the truth. Because he would by lying if he said he didn't notice how attractive she was. He'd be lying if he said being with her didn't make him happy, didn't make a warm feeling bloom in his chest. Those were all sensations that most cultures, popular or otherwise, had claimed to describe romantic attraction. The only other time he had ever felt like this was with Nyssa – and considering the rumors that had surrounded their relationship, well…

Ring!

Oliver accepted the call, placing the phone against his ear.

"How do you feel about Chinese tomorrow?"

The waiter placed an enormous fried fish on the center of the table. Oliver looked at it with both horror and resignation, while Kara gazed at it with glee, rubbing her hands eagerly and licking her chops in a very blatant fashion.

"The most authentic Szechwan in town, they said." Oliver groaned as Kara dove right in.

"So, what's on your mind?" Kara asked, well-versed in Oliver's moods. She was wiping her cloth napkin across her face, removing the remain bits of fish and sauce from her lips.

Oliver sighed deeply, setting down his silverware. "Tommy accused me of having feelings for Laurel."

"Oh."

The archer frowned. "You don't sound surprised."

Kara shrugged. "Oliver, of the three of us I am by far the least experienced in the workings of romance. But the way you two look at each other sometimes…well, it wouldn't be surprising if something was going on. At least to me."

Oliver winced. Kara was correct on that front – by her own admission, she had never been physically or emotionally attracted to anyone in a romantic fashion. Part of this was due to circumstance: Kara was a late bloomer and barely started puberty when her entire world was destroyed, and she was stranded on an island with her baby cousin. The trauma of that situation didn't allow for romance. And even after she moved past that, all of her energies were entirely focused on protecting her new family and raising Kal-El, because Lian Yu and Nanda Parbat wouldn't accept anything more than that. So, when finally placed in an environment where a romantic liaison was possible, Kara didn't try to pursue that avenue, simply because she had been living without it for years and didn't see the appeal or the need for it. She was perfectly content with her current relationship status.

Oliver would've been in the same boat as her, but unlike Kara, he didn't have the benefit of adopting an entirely new life to live as he see fit. He was the firstborn of the Queen Family, a member of Starling City's elite. Whether he liked or not, there were expectations that came with that, expectations that he would have to live up to keep his blood family happy and satisfied. His parents were accommodating now, allowing him to live at his own pace, because they had already lost ten years with him and the last thing they wanted to do was push him away. But Oliver knew that there was only so much time he had before they started inquiring about his life again, if only out of concern.

And truth be told, there was a time when Oliver had envisioned that sort of life, with a wife and kids and everything. Not anytime soon, obviously, as he was on the starting stages of becoming a wild playboy like his father and Uncle Malcolm during their college years, but eventually, after he had his fun. Of course, the island changed all that. But now that survival and the League were no longer on the forefront of his mind, he could dwell upon those old hopes and dreams and no longer dismiss them as infeasible. Now, he could think of them and see potential, even though he couldn't quite focus on achieving them yet.

But fulfilling them with Laurel? The idea had never crossed his mind, not until Tommy opened his mouth. And now that he thought about it, the idea wasn't unappealing. It wasn't unappealing at all. It almost felt…right.

"So, do you?" Kara voice pierced his thoughts, and Oliver looked at her.

"Do I what?"

Kara raised an eyebrow. "Have feelings for Laurel?"

Oliver leaned back into his chair and rubbed his temples. "I don't know? Maybe? All I know is that she makes me warm and happy, Kara, like I am with you, Barry, Kal, Slade, and my blood family. Except…differently."

"Different how?"

Oliver shrugged. "Like Nyssa. She makes me the feel the same way Nyssa did."

Kara nodded sagely. "And we all know what they said about you and Nyssa." Oliver opened his mouth to argue, only stand down when he realized she was right. He himself had acknowledged during his own self-reflection, and he admitted that the thought of being with Nyssa romantically wasn't unappealing either. But Nyssa was with the League, belonged there, and Oliver didn't – his heart would always be with Starling City. A relationship wasn't plausible, not right now, and possibly not ever. A relationship with Laurel was, except there was still another factor to consider: Tommy. And the last thing Oliver wanted to do was hurt his best friend by entering a relationship with the woman he had strong feelings for, feelings that went unreturned.

Seeing the conflict on his face, Kara got up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Oliver looked up at her. "Don't try to force it, Oliver. You'll figure out in your own time." Knowing that she was right, Oliver leaned his head back once more and nodded.

About a moment later, a heavy-set man with a tattoo on his face passed by their table.

They both smirked.

"Tomorrow, huh?"

"The Awards ceremony, schmoozing around with a bunch of one-percenters, including Carter Bowen, and then having to foil an assassination. Busy day."

Oliver snorted. "Che. This is nothing and you know it. Remember Prague?"

"I'd rather not, thank you very much." Kara deadpanned.

"Oh, what chaos that was! Too bad Barry had to burn the costume." Oliver laughed merrily at the memory.

"Ha. Ha. I'm glad someone can find joy out of that…" Kara trailed off, picking up the phone and staring at it in shock.

"Kara?" Oliver asked, previous mirth gone. Kara said nothing, and instead showed him the screen. Oliver went white as a sheet.

Malcolm Merlyn.

Oliver-centric chapter here. Next one, we deal with both Firestorm and the Awards Ceremony. Quick warning – it'll be a little long, judging by my notes.