hi i've been rewatching arrow and i am ADDICTED.
so like naturally i do that thing where i start a new story instead of updating my WIPs...oops. but i needed to get this little plot bunny out so here we are.
also i want to state that this is an original version of a character that exists - i kinda did what the cw did and took an existing character and changed their storyline/background. so artemis is like half an oc and half an au character lol.
anyways, i hope you all enjoy this story. i had a lot of fun writing it.
i do not own arrow!
"Mouse?" The familiar call of the nickname she'd given up trying to shake coupled with sound of her apartment door opening made Artemis Merlyn roll her eyes fondly. She knew who it was - only one person in the world called her that nickname and had a key to her apartment.
Sitting up from her where she'd been watching television after her shift, she grinned, half-confused and half-pleased as she spotted her brother coming in through the entryway and into the living room.
"Tommy!" Artemis leapt up from the couch, hugging her brother hello.
The Merlyn family had taken her in twenty-three years ago, just after her second birthday. Artemis had been abandoned then, left at the health clinic in the Glades. By a stroke of miraculous luck, Rebecca Merlyn, the owner of the clinic and struggling to become pregnant with a second child, had become besotted with the toddler. The adoption process was swift, and Artemis Merlyn was raised with more wealth than the girl who shouldgrown up in the Glades could have ever even imagined.
Rebecca had died - been murdered - just three years later, and with her father's long absence and distant parenting, Tommy had become the only family Artemis had. He drove her crazy, like any older brother would, but she loved her brother dearly.
"What's up?" She asked with a frown, confused at his sudden appearance at her apartment. She and Tommy were close, but he rarely came over unannounced - the chances that she wasn't going to be home were too high, due to her crazy shifts at the hospital. "I thought we were getting dinner tomorrow - "
"Artemis," Tommy said, taking her by the arm and leading her back over to the couch. He was grinning wildly. "Sit down, I have to tell you something." Artemis sat back down on the couch, frowning. Her brother was acting oddly. Not that him being happy was out of the ordinary, but he seemed downright overjoyed.
"What's the matter, you get engaged or something?" she asked sarcastically, knowing Tommy's playboy ways would never allow for that. Something occurred to her, and her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, did you and Laurel finally - " Something flickered over Tommy's face and he shook his head quickly, the odd expression disappearing just as soon as it had appeared.
"No, no." Tommy sat down beside his sister. He grinned at her playfully again. "Make like a mouse and quiet, okay?" Artemis rolled her eyes, miming zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "Thea just called me," Tommy continued breathlessly. "They found Oliver last night."
Artemis gasped, a hand flying to her mouth in shock. Tommy's best friend, Oliver Queen, had died in shipwreck five years ago when the Queen's yacht had gone down in a storm. His body, along with the others who had died in the shipwreck, had never been recovered.
"They found his body?" Artemis asked quietly. "How in the world -" Tommy grabbed his sister's hand, cutting her off.
"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Not his body. A couple fishermen found him. On a deserted island. He's been there, all this time." Artemis's mouth fell open as she registered what Tommy was saying.
"You mean..." her voice trailed off, barely daring to hope. Oliver may have been Tommy's best friend, but with all the time the Merlyn and Queen families spent together, Artemis had grown to love him as well. Not as a brother, the way Tommy loved Thea, but something more complex and difficult than Artemis could admit to herself - then, but especially now, faced with what her brother was telling her.
Tommy nodded, the wide grin still plastered across his face. His eyes were watery.
"Mouse." Tommy gripped Artemis's face in his hands. "Ollie's alive. He's coming home."
Tommy took a deep breath, his fingers tapping impatiently against his leg as his driver started up the long driveway towards the Queen's estate. He wished his sister was there to ease his anticipation to see his best friend again, but Artemis had been called into work that morning. It had gone longer than she'd expected, and she'd called him an hour ago to say she'd meet him there.
As soon as the car pulled to a stop, Tommy leapt out, bounding up the steps to the large wooden door. It was unlocked; the Queens were expecting him, and Tommy stepped through the threshold of the mansion.
A man was standing with his back to Tommy, looking at the framed photographs on the small round table in front of him. His hair was cut shorter than it had been the last time Tommy saw him, and his shoulders were broader, but Tommy recognized his best friend immediately.
"What did I tell you?" Tommy called out with a grin, his heart pounding in anticipation. "Yachts suck."
Oliver turned around slowly, a familiar smile stretched across his face. No matter what the five years on the island had done to Oliver, Tommy knew he recognized his friend. Tommy walked forward, greeting his friend with a tight hug.
"Tommy Merlyn," Oliver said with a chuckle, returning the embrace tightly.
"I missed you, buddy," Tommy replied. He stepped back from his friend, but he couldn't bring himself to let go of Oliver's shoulder. He was almost afraid if he did, Oliver would disappear again. "Artemis will be here soon," Tommy added. Both Oliver and he had been close to their younger sisters, and he knew Thea as well as Oliver did Artemis. "She had an emergency surgery this morning, but - "
"Surgery?" Oliver's eyebrows drew together in concern. "Is she okay? What happened?" Tommy stared at Oliver for a second, and then chuckled, realizing what Oliver thought he had meant.
"No, no, she's fine - I meant - Artemis is the surgeon," he replied with a laugh. Oliver blinked, shocked. He looked at Tommy for a second, his head slightly tilted, as if he was waiting for the punch line. Tommy nodded, rolling his eyes in a fond manner. "It's true. She's a trauma surgeon at Starling General." Oliver blinked, surprised.
"I know it's been five years," he said lightly. "But I would think she's still a little young to be a surgeon." Artemis was, after all, only twenty-five. Tommy grinned sardonically.
"Yeah, well, the little wonder girl's kinda all work and no play. She took the fast track."
"Fast track implies I cheated," a voice called as the door to the Queen's mansion swung open and shut again. The young half-Vietnamese girl stepped in, grinning mischievously as she looked at the two young men. "I'm just motivated." She walked forward, switching her pocketbook from hand to hand as she approached her brother and Oliver, slightly nervous. She halted in front of them, smiling. "Besides, I'm still in my first year of residency."
"Motivated to make me look bad," Tommy replied, without any heat. Artemis rolled her eyes. She walked over to Oliver, hugging him tightly.
"It's really good to see you, Oliver," she said quietly. She took a deep breath, her chest aching with joy, and she pulled back and quickly blinked tears out of her eyes. She smiled playfully. "You will not believe how hard it is to control this one," she motioned to Tommy over her shoulder. "When you're not around." Oliver laughed incredulously.
"Me, control Tommy?" Artemis's lips twitched.
"Control, outshine in tabloids," she shrugged and put a hand on her hip, narrowing her eyes. "Tomato, tomahto." Oliver laughed again.
"I'll give you that one." He looked at her up and down. She'd grown up in five years. "So...Dr. Mouse?" Artemis huffed out a laugh. Whatever had changed in Oliver in the past five years - and she was willing to bet it was a lot, based on the struggles he'd no doubt endured - his easy charisma and gentle teasing hadn't.
"In the flesh."
"Artemis!" Thea's voice came from the living room as she walked into the entry hall, grinning at the older girl. Artemis smiled back, walking over to Thea to greet her. The younger girl was like a little sister to her.
"Hi, Speedy!" Artemis chirped playfully. She hugged Thea as the teenager groaned at the nickname Oliver had coined for her when she was four. Artemis laughed. "Hey, if I have to have a bad nickname that everyone calls me, so do you." Thea pulled back, linking arms with Artemis. She arched her eyebrows.
"Oh, really? Does that mean I get to call you Mouse?" Artemis pointed at Thea mock-threateningly.
"Hey - respect your elders," she said with a serious face, before winking at Thea. "I mean, not them," she nodded at Tommy and Oliver. "But me. Definitely me." Thea laughed - it was clear that Oliver's return had put her in a rare good mood, and why wouldn't it?
"Come on," Thea said, tugging at Artemis's arm again and beckoning at their brothers. "It's dinner time."
"Okay," Tommy said, swallowing his bite of food. "What else did you miss?" Artemis chuckled and shook her head as she took a sip of her wine. Tommy had filled most of the silence throughout the dinner, catching Oliver up on five years worth of information - mostly gossip about their old social circle, which made for quite the amusing dinner time tales.
The formal dining room in the Queen's mansion had a long table, too big for the family of four and two guests to fill alone. Oliver was seated at the head of one end of the table, with Thea and Tommy on either side of him and Artemis next to Thea. Moira was seat opposite of Oliver at the other side of the table, with Walter on her right, on the same side of the table as Tommy. There was several empty spaces between Tommy and Walter and Artemis and the end of the table, but the staff had removed the extra chairs in order to make the spacing less awkward.
"Super Bowl winners," Tommy continued, thinking back to the past five years as he listed the teams out loud. "Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. Uh, a black president, that's new!" Thea giggled, and she and Artemis exchanged a fond look. "Oh!" Tommy continued. "And Lost, they were all dead...I think." Artemis laughed, looking at Oliver.
The man was smiling at Tommy's comments, but his eyes were focused across the table at his mother and Walter, her husband. Artemis pursed her lips, wondering what Oliver was thinking. Of course, when he'd gone missing, he'd known Walter only as his father's friend and business partner. Now, it was obvious that Walter and his mother were married.
"What was it like there?" Thea asked all of the sudden, leaning forward to look at her brother. Artemis froze, her eyes still locked on Oliver's face. Now, she wasn't the only one staring at him - everyone at the table was looking at Oliver expectantly as they waited to hear his answer to Thea's question.
Oliver paused for a minute, glancing at Thea. He smiled.
"Cold," he responded simply. Thea raised an eyebrow, but it was clear that Oliver wasn't going to say more.
"Tomorrow," Tommy broke in, casually redirecting the conversation once again. He nodded at Oliver. "You and me, we're doing the city. You've got a lot to catch up on." Moira nodded enthusiastically from across the table, thankful for Tommy's gentle insistence at helping to reintegrate Oliver into society.
"That sounds like a great idea," she said.
"Good," Oliver agreed amenably. "Then I was hoping to swing by the office." Artemis arched an eyebrow. Five years ago Oliver had been nowhere near interested in his family's company. Now, visiting it was one of the first things he wanted to do? Moira hummed, clearly just as taken aback by Oliver's eagerness as Artemis was. She exchanged a glance with Walter, who set his wine glass down and cleared his throat.
"Well, there's plenty of time for all that," he said jovially, his pleasant British accent rounding his words. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere." Oliver nodded, his smile turning polite when Walter spoke. Artemis glanced down at her plate, wondering when Oliver's composure would break.
Raisa, one of the Queen's oldest house staff who had been a constant role in Oliver's upbringing, was bringing a bowl of fruit to the table. She stumbled on the edge of the carpet, losing her grip on the bowl. In a flash, Oliver caught the bowl before it could fall and steadied her instinctively, carefully handing the bowl back to her.
"Oh," Raisa said, startled at his quick reaction time. "I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver." Oliver murmured a response quietly, and Artemis blinked in surprise. She recognized the foreign language, even if she couldn't understand the words.
"Since when do you speak Russian?" she asked with a startled laugh. Oliver had never been exactly studious, and was never close to fluent in any foreign language he'd ever studied. Moira frowned, clearly thinking the same thing.
"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Oliver," Walter said, trying to make conversation. Oliver looked back at his stepfather levelly, sidestepping the probing question with one of his own.
"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter."
For the third time in as many minutes, the table went silent. Artemis exchanged an uncomfortable looks with Tommy, busying herself with cutting into her asparagus. Across from Oliver, Moira's smile faded, and she looked from her son to her daughter. Thea swallowed, sitting back in her seat and looking at her hands.
"I - I didn't say anything," she promised sincerely.
"She didn't have to," Oliver replied quietly as he looked at his mother, still waiting patiently for an explanation. He didn't look particularly angry or distraught - in fact he didn't look like anything. His face was perfectly blank as he watched his mother. Moira sighed, nodding her head slowly. She glanced at Walter, stretching a hand out to take his. Walter squeezed her hand gently.
"Oliver," Moira said, looking at her son seriously. "Walter and I are married. And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father." Oliver looked down slightly, his face tightening slightly.
"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh," Walter hesitated, his lips pressing together. "Well, gone." Oliver raise his gaze again and nodded once, looking levelly at Walter and his mother.
"It's fine," he said quietly. He stood up slowly, pressing his hands against the table. "May I be excused?" Moira hesitated before nodding, looking slightly disappointed. Artemis could imagine this was not exactly how she pictured Oliver's first dinner back would go. Oliver smiled, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl at the table.
"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow, buddy," Tommy called as Oliver walked past him. Oliver nodded, patting Tommy on the shoulder as he murmured a good bye. He winked at Thea as he left the room, walking softly out of the room and up the stairs to the second level of the house. Thea sighed, looking down, and Artemis reached out to take the younger girl's hand under the table.
Thea squeezed Artemis's hand back, silently acknowledging her support. There was a long moment of silence and then Moira cleared her throat.
"Artemis." The young woman looked up when Moira said her name, and the elder woman gave her a strained smile back, trying to redirect the conversation. "Why don't you tell us more about your residency?"
"Oliver?" Artemis knocked quietly on the door to her friend's room, which was closed. She wasn't sure if he was asleep. It was early, but considering what he'd been through, she was guessing he was exhausted. And if he was sleeping, she certainly didn't want to wake him.
"Come in."
Artemis opened the door and stepped into his room. Oliver was sitting at his desk. Despite the brewing thunderstorm outside, the window was open, letting in cool air. Artemis looked around the room. It looked exactly the same as the last time she'd been in there, more than five years ago. Oliver stood up, smiling slightly at Artemis as she hovered in the doorway.
"Leaving already?" he asked her, nodding at her jacket and pocketbook, which she'd left in the coat closet before sitting down to dinner. Oliver continued. "I thought they were still on dessert and brandy." Artemis laughed lightly.
"Yeah, well. I had an early morning, I should be getting home." Oliver nodded. Artemis waited a moment, but Oliver didn't say anything. She tried to remember if he'd ever been this silent before he'd disappeared and came up with a definite no. Her heart ached, wondering what had happened to him on that island - she was willing to bet there were far more differences than how much he talked. "I just came to say good night."
"And what else?" Oliver asked, leaning against the desk as he smiled at her. He held up his smart phone at her. "Mom already got me one of these, and I know I have your number in here so I'm sure you have mine." Artemis smiled, surprised. He was certainly more observant than she remembered him being.
"You caught me." She stepped into the room, closing the door halfway behind her. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Oliver raised his eyebrows. "I'm just saying...I know awkward family dinners like the back of my hand." Oliver chuckled and Artemis continued, encouraged by his genuine response. "So are you? Okay?"
"I'm fine," Oliver replied. She didn't really believe him, but despite his short answer, he was smiling at her warmly. Artemis smiled back at him, glad he wasn't bothered by her concern, even if he wasn't opening up.
"Good," was all she said, though she made sure to give him a look to show that she wasn't fully satisfied with his answer. Oliver's lips twitched again as he looked at her.
"Just as quietly observant as I remember," he said to her affectionately. He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "Mouse." Artemis laughed softly, toying with the clasp on her pocketbook. She turned to leave, but before she could shut the door behind her, Oliver called out.
"Good night," he said to her, his piercing blue eyes locked on her face. Artemis pushed back a shiver at his intense gaze, her heartbeat picking up slightly. "And thank you."
Artemis smiled gently at him.
"Of course," was all she replied as she closed the door.
Artemis paced the apartment back and forth, tapping her phone against her hands impatiently. She and Tommy had plans for dinner, and he'd called her an hour ago to say he was being held up. It wasn't until she'd turned on the news that she'd realized being "held up" meant that Tommy and Oliver had been kidnapped when they were in town together, saved by an unknown person, and were subsequently being questioned by the police.
She was going to kill Tommy.
As the lock to her door finally turned, Artemis whirled around, rushing towards Tommy as he walked inside. He sighed when he saw her, already starting to wave off her concern. He felt absolutely fine, besides the small headache and really, he'd had hangovers that were worse. He'd tried to avoid telling his sister because he knew she'd just freak out, but it was a little difficult when the eight o'clock news picked up the story.
"I'm fine, Mouse," he muttered. She ignored him, grabbing his face to look at him critically. She checked him up and down, seeing no obvious signs of injuries - no bruises, blood, or bandages, and he hadn't been limping when he walked in the door. Still, she couldn't help the panic that quelled in her chest at knowing the dangerous situation he'd be in.
"Are you hurt? Did you get checked out? What did the doctors - "
"Mouse!" Tommy said in exasperation. She fell silent, glaring at him, and he sighed again. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm fine. They checked me and Oliver out at the scene. I just got knocked out - " Artemis let out an irritated tsk, reaching around Tommy to dig around in the drawers of her foyer table. She pulled out a small flashlight and Tommy groaned, realizing what she was going to do. "Artemis Merlyn, I swear to god if you shine that in my eyes - "
"Let me just see if your pupils are reactive!" Artemis snapped, holding up a hand. Tommy took a deep breath, staring at his sister. He could tell by the stubborn set of her mouth she wasn't going to let this go. He relented, knowing that as soon as she saw for herself that he was okay, she'd mostly let it go.
"Fine," he muttered, rolling his eyes and heading deeper into his sister's apartment. "Let me at least sit down while you examine me." Artemis followed Tommy silently, kneeling in front of him as he took a seat on the couch. Tommy raised his eyebrows at his sister as she carefully shined the flashlight in his eyes, watching his pupils dilate critically. He humored her further as she made him go through a more concussion-test exercises - all of which the EMTs had already given to him hours ago, but he knew his sister well enough that she'd just kick up a fuss again if he refused.
"Okay," Artemis said finally, nodding in satisfaction as she clicked the flashlight off and put it aside. "You're fine. Now tell me what happened."
"Wow, a shocker," Tommy said sarcastically. She glared at him. "I'm not sure. Like I said, I got knocked out. By the time I came to, the police were already there." Artemis frowned, worrying her lip between her teeth as she mulled this over. "They're not sure why we were targeted, but the guys who did it were...apprehended." Caught up in her concern as she was, Artemis didn't realize the tiny hesitation in Tommy's voice before he said apprehended.
"That's it?" She asked finally, her voice small, when Tommy didn't say anything else. Tommy nodded.
"That's it." Artemis let out a long sigh of relief, a sheepish smile working its way across her face as she sat down next to her brother. Now that she knew her brother was truly safe, she felt a little silly for her reaction.
Just a little though. He had been kidnapped, for crying out loud.
"Sorry," she murmured quietly, brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ears. "I know I tend to...freak out a little." She was so terrified of losing Tommy, she couldn't help feeling overprotective of him. And she knew he understood, knew he felt the same way for her.
"A little?" Artemis elbowed Tommy, her cheeks turning red. He chuckled, mussing up her hair playfully. "I know it's just because you care." Artemis smirked at him, unable to resist a jibe.
"And just because I'm trying to save you from winning a Darwin award." Tommy's eyes narrowed, and Artemis squealed suddenly as he pulled her into a headlock, ruffling her hair further as she thrashed against her brother's grip.
"Take it back," he threatened, tickling Artemis. She laughed, trying to block his arms.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"
Tommy relinquished his sister from his grasp, grinning at her triumphantly a. She sat up and scowled back at him, running her hands through her hair to comb out any tangles her brother's attack had caused.
"Anyways, I'm starving," Tommy said, leaning back against the couch and putting his feet up on the ottoman.
"Well, we missed our reservation," Artemis replied, getting up and walking towards the kitchen. Tommy heard the fridge open and close, and the sounds of cupboards opening and glasses clinking. Artemis came back holding two wine glasses and a brand new bottle of Pinot Noir. She was grinning sheepishly again.
"Fridge is empty," she announced, handing Tommy a glass and uncorking the wine. She poured him a glass, and then filled one for herself before flopping down next to her brother on the couch again. "Well, except for two eggs and some questionable leftovers." Tommy laughed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Artemis was a pretty decent cook, but she hardly ever remembered to buy groceries and subsisted largely on takeout. Tommy set his wine glass down on the coffee table, pulling his phone out of his pocket to call for takeout. "Big Belly Burger? I'll pay."
"Wow, how generous of you," Artemis said mockingly, aiming a playful kick at Tommy.
Artemis stepped out of her car, shoving her foot more firmly into her heel as she started up the stairs to the venue of Oliver's homecoming party. As usual, work had made her late, and she'd had to change in the car in order to avoid passing the threshold of "fashionably late" to "downright rude."
Her heels clicked against the ground as she walked inside, one of the hired staff showing her down the entry hall to the dance floor. The sound of her shoes quickly faded into the din of shouts and music. She walked down the staircase, weaving her way through the crowd and keeping her eyes peeled for Tommy. Her brother had clearly pulled out all the stops to give Oliver the best homecoming party imaginable, complete with an open bar, world-renown DJ, and plenty of guests. It wasn't exactly Artemis's scene, but she showed up nonetheless. She could party with the best of them, she just typically preferred not to. It wasn't exactly the most productive pastime, after all.
She was so focused on looking for Tommy that she nearly collided with someone walking the opposite direction. She stumbled slightly, and firm hands wrapped around her arms, settling her on her feet.
"Oh!" she said, surprised. She looked up, grinning when she realized she'd run into Oliver. "Ollie, hey!"
"Artemis," he replied, smiling slightly. He looked her up and down. "You look nice." A smile flickered over her face, her lips turning up slightly. She ignored the slight, hopeful tug in her stomach at Oliver's comment. She knew better than to think it really meant anything.
"Don't sound so surprised," she scoffed coyly, crossing her arms over her chest. Oliver laughed, looking at Artemis out of the corner of his eye. Her dark almond-shaped eyes were gleaming under the flashing lights, and her long hair fell around her shoulders in loose, tousled waves. She was wearing a low-cut satin emerald top that was striking against her tan skin, and her crossed arms accentuated the neckline of the top in a tantalizing way. Oliver averted his gaze before it got him in trouble.
"Well, thank you for coming," Oliver said finally. "I know this isn't really your scene." Artemis laughed.
"It's for you, Ollie," she said. "No matter what it is, I'd be there." She tipped her head to the side and grinned mischievously. "Not on time, of course, because that's just out of the question for me." Oliver laughed, his smile soft as he looked at his old friend.
He couldn't help but feel fascinated by the way the lights from the party danced off her skin. The flash of guilt that followed his interest was enough to make him shake that train of thought. He couldn't let himself think about Artemis in that way - not after what could have happened the last time.
Besides, Oliver reminded himself, as he always had to when his mind strayed, this was Tommy's little sister. His best friend would surely kill him - as if he could manage to, Oliver thought wryly - if he put hands on Artemis.
A buzzing noise made him pause, and he reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his phone. He looked at the time - it was 10 pm. Frowning, Oliver clicked into the bank account he'd ordered Adam Hunt to deposit 40 million dollars into. It was still empty, and Hunt's time as up. Oliver shook his head, turning the phone off and tucking it back into his pocket.
"What's wrong?" she asked, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.
"I asked somebody to do something important for me," Oliver responded cryptically. "They didn't do it." Artemis raised an eyebrow, hoping for more again. Instead, Oliver smiled at her in his usual charming manner. "Excuse me. I'll see you around, okay?"
"Okay..." Artemis replied, but Oliver was already walking away.
The young woman turned around to watch him go, tipping her head to the side as she tracked the stiff line of his spine and the hard set of his shoulders. Something about the way he held himself made Artemis shiver. Before, she couldn't remember a time that Oliver was threatening. Even when he got angry, harassing the paparazzi or heckling a bouncer at a club, he'd been hard to take seriously. Now, he looked almost dangerous.
Artemis shook that thought off, heading towards the bar for a drink. She found Tommy there and he grinned when he saw her, passing her a shot of tequila.
"Be careful," he warned her as she tossed it back. Artemis grinned at Tommy, leaning over the bar to wave down the bartender.
"Hey, if I'm gonna party, I'm gonna party right."
Several shots and two gin and tonics later, Artemis could safely say that she was "partying right." And by the looks her brother was starting to flash her when she ordered her third gin and tonic, he was starting to think the same thing. Which meant that Artemis only had so much longer to dance before he went all annoying on her and insisted she go home and sleep it off.
"Starling City Police!" A voice shouted. "Party's over, kids." Artemis frowned in a mixture of confusion and disappointment, turning around from the bar where she'd been standing with Tommy and some of his friends. Detective Lance, Laurel's father, was walking up towards them. He greeted Tommy with a sneer.
"Damn," Artemis drawled, looking at Lance disappointedly. "Kinda thought it was going to be a stripper." Tommy couldn't help laugh at his sister's statement and Lance looked at the two socialites disparagingly.
"Oh, the Merlyns," he said. "Imagine my shock at finding you here," Lance looked at Tommy. "Did you roofie anyone special tonight?" Tommy grinned lazily, unbothered by Lance's hostility. Artemis, on the other hand...
"Hey, don't talk about my brother that way," she snapped, stepping forward. Tommy wasn't exactly a world-class citizen when it came to partying, but he wasn't a creep, and Artemis wouldn't let anyone say he was. Lance's eyes flicked to Artemis.
"Not exactly your scene now, is it?"
"You know, you're the second person to say that to me tonight," Artemis said with an exaggerated pout as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Didn't realize I exuded that much 'stick-up-my-ass' energy."
"Detective!" Oliver's voice cut through the crowd, and he weaved through people to reach his friends and Lance. He stopped next to Tommy, smiling jovially at Lance. He looks good, Artemis thought to herself, before wincing. Okay, I am too drunk. "This is a private party," Oliver informed the officer with a sly smile. Lance grunted, unimpressed.
"Yeah, well, there was an incident at Adam Hunt's building tonight. Do you know anything about that?" Oliver shook his head slightly, looking annoyed.
"Who's Adam Hunt?"
"He's a millionaire, bottom-feeder, and I'm kind of surprised you all aren't friends," Lance replied, nodding at Oliver and the Merlyns. Artemis rolled her eyes, but Oliver took the slight in stride, a small smirk crossing his face as he shrugged his shoulders casually.
"I've been out of town for a while." Tommy grinned widely at his friend's mocking statement and Artemis huffed a shocked laugh. Oliver certainly hadn't lost his skill for ruffling the feathers of authority figures in the time he'd been gone. Lance snorted, eyeing the three members of Starling elite dubiously before continuing.
"Well, he just got attacked by the guy with the hood. The guy that saved your ass the other day." Artemis blinked, frowning. She couldn't follow the detective's statement - what guy in a hood? Who had saved who? She mulled this over, remembering the news report she'd seen informing her that Tommy and Oliver had been kidnapped. The newscaster said that they'd been saved by a good samaritan...the guy in the hood?
Artemis frowned, trying to put the pieces together.
"The hood guy," Oliver repeated. "You find him?" He grinned cheekily. "I'm gonna offer a reward." He turned to face the crowd, raising his voice and holding up two fingers in the air as he called out. "Hey, everybody! Two million dollars to anybody who can find a nut bar in a green hood!" Tommy was laughing again, and Artemis couldn't help but chuckle as well.
Lance didn't find it as funny. His jaw was twitching, and he stepped forward, leaning in towards Oliver.
"Did you even try to save her?" he hissed. The mocking grin on Oliver's face faded, and Artemis flinched, the laugh dying in her throat. "Did you even try to save my daughter?" Lance's partner cleared his throat, pushing Lance on the chest gently and forcing him backwards and away from Oliver.
"Partner, let's go," he muttered. "It's alright, let's go." He continued to push Lance back, away from Oliver, but the detective's eyes were locked on the young man's.
Artemis's heart was thumping in her chest, and she turned to study at Oliver's face. It was completely blank, devoid of any emotion. She knew Oliver felt guilty about Sara Lance - his ex-girlfriend Laurel's sister, who he'd taken with him on the Queen's Gambit five years ago - but Lance hated Oliver enough to believe he didn't. She couldn't imagine how that felt.
Oliver looked at the ground, taking a deep breath. Artemis watched as he walked away, heading back up to the stage at the front of the room. He climbed up, looking down at everyone. For a moment, Artemis was sure he was going to tell everyone to go home. But instead, he fixed a smile onto his face and spread his arms out wide.
"It's way too quiet in here!" he shouted. "This is a party!" Everyone else cheered in response, and Oliver bounded down the stage again as the music and dancing started up again. Tommy walked over to Oliver, and Artemis quickened her pace to keep up. She wanted an explanation.
"Excuse me," Artemis interjected loudly. Tommy sighed, noticing the slight wobble in his sister's step. She couldn't hold her alcohol nearly as well as he could. Both men looked over at her and she waved a hand dramatically. "Please explain who this guy in a hood is?" She glared at Tommy pointedly, pointing at him with the hand that wasn't holding her drink. "Someone left something out."
"Because I knew you would freak out," Tommy replied, reaching over and carefully prying her glass away from her. "And this is my drink now." Artemis scoffed, offended at her brother's assumption that she a) would have been freaked out by something that was so completely reasonable to freak out over, and b) the fact that she was drunk. She squinted at her brother, noticing for the first time he was a little blurry. Okay, maybe the second assumption was reasonable.
"I'm not freaking out now, am I?"
"You're drunk," Tommy and Oliver said at the same time. Artemis pouted in response, crossing her arms.
"Well, who's fault is that?" she muttered, rolling her eyes. She didn't bother to wait for an answer and waved her hands again, turning around. "I'm gonna dance," she announced. Tommy watched Artemis go, slightly concerned. She didn't stumble once as she wove through the crowd, convincing him that she wasn't drunk enough to be in trouble yet. Still, he wanted to make sure she wasn't getting another drink. Once he spotted her getting caught up in a conversation with one of her friends, nowhere near the bar, he turned back to Oliver.
"Some coincidence," Tommy said, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, you asking to have your party here, and Hunt getting robbed right next door by the same guy who rescued us at the warehouse?" Tommy shook his head, taking a sip of the drink he'd taken from Artemis. Oliver shrugged.
"If I were you, Tommy," Oliver said with a smile. "I'd just be glad you're alive." Tommy froze, shocked by the dark implication of Oliver's statement. He stared at his friend.
"What...happened to you on that island?" he asked finally. Oliver's eye contact didn't falter as he responded levelly.
"A lot." Tommy blinked a few times, processing what Oliver was saying and watched as he walked away, weaving through people as he walked away. Tommy watched his friend go, and realized for the first time how steady Oliver was walking, and that he hadn't seen him sip from a drink since they'd taken that shot together when Oliver first came in.
"Artemis..."
The sigh of her name made Artemis look up from where she was kneeling on the ground, looking under a table. She sat back on her heels, scowling at Oliver as he loomed over her.
"Don't Artemis me," she muttered, climbing back to her feet and rubbing her knees. She grimaced at the sticky feeling. "That floor is disgusting, I'm not down here for fun. I can't find my phone."
"Well, that would explain why your brother is about to put out an APB for you," Oliver replied, raising his eyebrows. Tommy had approached him fifteen minutes ago, panicking slightly. He told Oliver he hadn't heard from Artemis and he was going to check her apartment. Oliver had offered to look around the party before heading home.
Just when he'd been starting to get really concerned, he found her near the bar, looking underneath a table. He pulled out his phone, shooting a quick text to Tommy that he'd found her, she didn't have her phone, but he would make sure she got home safe. Artemis groaned, resting her head in her hands as she leaned over the table. This was why she didn't drink hard liquor. She went from tipsy to flat-out irresponsibly drunk in two seconds flat.
"Damn it," she muttered, pinching her nose. "Can you text him for me?" Oliver nodded, carefully taking Artemis by the shoulders and steering her towards the exit. The party was still going strong, but Oliver was ready to leave himself, and he wanted to get Artemis home safely. He walked with her towards the entrance, carefully steadying her when she stumbled.
"I already did," he said, responding to Artemis's question as they walked through the exit of the ballroom where the party had been held. "I told him I'm taking you home. When you didn't respond to your texts and he couldn't find you here, he left to go look for you." Artemis sighed, sliding into the backseat of the car that pulled up in front of her. Oliver walked around to the other side, sliding in next to her and shutting the door. He handed her a bottle of water.
"Thanks," she muttered, uncapping it and taking a few sips. She rested her head against the glass of the window, dreading the chewing out Tommy was going to give her tomorrow. She glanced at Oliver, frowning all of the sudden. "Hey, where's your bodyguard?" Tommy had told her that after the two of them had been kidnapped, Moira had insisted on Oliver having a personal bodyguard tail him everywhere.
"Gave him the night off," Oliver responded with a wry grin. Artemis narrowed her eyes at him.
"Really." Oliver smirked.
"Really."
"I don't believe you," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Just so you know."
Oliver didn't say anything until the car pulled up in front of Artemis's building. As she got out of the car, she sighed in relief. She was beyond ready to take a shower and get to sleep. Oliver insisted on walking her all the way to her apartment door, despite her protests that she was fine. When they reached her apartment, Artemis turned to face Oliver.
"Thank you," she said. "For taking me home." Oliver smiled, waving off her gratitude. Artemis took her keys out, turning to unlock the door. Before she did, she turned around again, looking at Oliver intently. "And I just...I wanted to say." Artemis hesitated, wondering how to broach this subject. "I can't imagine how tough the accident and all those years on the island must have been for you," she said. Oliver's face was blank as he met her eyes levelly, and Artemis continued, her heart quickening, "If you ever want to talk to anybody about it...I'm here, okay?"
There was a long beat of silence between them and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Like, now for example?" she added. "I saw your face after what Lance said tonight." Oliver took a deep breath, looking away briefly. His expression was pained. Artemis sighed. The last thing she'd wanted to do was make things worse.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
"No," Oliver said suddenly, shaking his head. "No, don't be - don't be sorry." He smiled slightly, his forehead creasing as he shook his head. "I appreciate it, Mouse. It's just..." He looked at her again, his blue eyes meeting hers. "Do you remember the last time we got lunch? Right before I went missing?" Artemis frowned, wondering why he was bringing something so trivial up.
"Yes..." she said hesitantly, thinking back on that day.
"Ollie, hey!" Oliver looked up, grinning as Artemis walked towards him. She was back from college for the weekend, and he'd asked her meet him for lunch. She'd been busy lately, and he hadn't seen her in several months.
"Mouse," he said in greeting, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her. She laughed, flinging her arms around his neck as she hugged him hello. Oliver hugged her back, his heart beating faster as she pressed up against him. Tommy would kill him for even thinking this, but he hadn't been able to help but admire Artemis lately. She was about to turn twenty, and in the past few years she'd grown from the round-faced kid he'd known all his life into a gorgeous young woman with flashing eyes, full lips, and the figure of a swimsuit model. Not to mention she was just as smart, funny and successful as she'd always been.
Really, if she hadn't been Tommy's sister, Oliver would probably have tried something with her a long time ago. But she was, so he didn't. Besides, he'd had Laurel for the past two years - not that that had stopped him from straying before.
"Good to see you," she said, brushing her ponytail over her shoulder as she sat down. She took a sip of her water. "How have you been?"
"Good," Oliver said with a smile, easily stepping into his role of charm. "It's...really good to see you, Mouse. You look great." Artemis's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, lowering her eyes to her hands as she fiddled with the silver rings she wore. The sunlight beamed down on their outside table, making the hazel flecks in Artemis's brown eyes dance and the faint freckles on her tanned complexion more prominent.
"Thanks," she said, with a smile. "Um, you, too." Oliver smiled, filling her wineglass up. Her eyes widened. "Ollie!" She admonished, looking around. "I can't drink that here yet."
"C'mon, Artemis, they're not going to care," he said, laughing. "I can't believe you don't have a fake, anyways." Artemis's cheeks reddened again as she took a sip of wine, her nose wrinkling up as she did so. It was cute.
"I like sweet wine," she explained with a small laugh, placing her glass down. "And who said I don't have a fake?" Artemis grinned. "Just a little hard to use it in Starling where everyone knows who I am and how old I am." Oliver arched an eyebrow, pretending to be shocked. Artemis laughed again. "C'mon, Ollie," she pouted mockingly, and Oliver had to catch his breath at how beautiful she looked in the moment. "I dabble in debauchery too, you know."
I'm counting on it, Oliver thought to himself. He took a sip of his own wine, his heart pounding a little faster as he began to speak. This next moment couldn't be undone. Everything up to this point was innocent, two friends catching up. But once Oliver made this offer to Artemis, he was risking his relationship with Laurel, his friendship with Tommy, and his friendship with Artemis.
Let it be said that, whatever else he was, Oliver Queen wasn't a coward.
"What are you plans for this weekend?" Oliver said, broaching the subject gently. Artemis let out a groan.
"Nothing fun," she said, rolling her eyes. "This will be the last time you see me in the sunlight this weekend - I have a paper due on Monday and was being hopelessly unproductive at school and I came home to get away from distractions." Oliver frowned inwardly, disappointed. This didn't bode well for the rest of his plan - he knew how committed Artemis was to her academics. Still, maybe this one time...
"Are you sure I can't convince you to get an extension?" he asked her, smiling lazily. "I was a pro at asking for those when I was in college, you know."
"Um, which time you were in college, exactly?" Artemis said with a laugh. She looked at him for a long moment, her lips pursed slightly as she considered his question. She had no idea what Oliver was up to, but she doubted she was mistaken in the signals she was picking up on from him. She'd be lying if she said that thought didn't excite her - she'd always harbored a tiny crush on her brother's friend.
But, besides the fact she had to put school first, as always, she was pretty sure Laurel and Oliver were still dating. That wasn't necessarily a reason that meant Oliver wasn't hitting on her - she knew he'd cheated on girlfriends in the past - but Artemis wanted no part in hurting Laurel. The girl was a sweetheart. Even thought it was possible they'd broken up and she hadn't heard about it yet, she knew Oliver well enough to know that if she asked she couldn't be sure he would give her the truth.
And then the her third reason. Tommy would never forgive them if he found out they hooked up in any way, shape, or form. And she couldn't stand to have her brother mad at her, or have him mad at his best friend over her.
She sighed regretfully, making her decision, "I don't think so, Ollie."
Oliver sighed as well, masking his real disappointment with dramatized hurt.
"I guess I should know you're too smart to take academic advice from Oliver Queen," he said. Artemis grinned.
"Guess you should have," she replied. To her relief, the rest of lunch wasn't awkward. They both stepped back into safer conversation realms, ignoring the fact that they'd both known what the other was thinking, what the other person wanted.
When she'd hugged Oliver good bye, he'd ruffled her hair and wished her good luck on her paper. She'd promised to buy him a drink if he ever came to visit her at college, her heartbeat picking up slightly at the idea of being alone with Oliver again.
And then, two days later, he'd been gone. Artemis had barely remembered their conversation in the chaos, hadn't registered what it might have meant even when it became public knowledge that Oliver had been cheating on his girlfriend, Laurel, with her younger sister Sara.
Until now.
Artemis blinked slowly, staring at Oliver with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked finally, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke. Oliver nodded, as if he could tell what she was thinking.
"I was going to ask you to come on the Gambit with me," he said quietly. Artemis swallowed hard, her heart pounding as Oliver confirmed what she had just realized. "And I know that I killed Sara, by taking her with me," Oliver continued, his voice soft. She could barely hear him over the pounding in her ears. "And I know that I could have easily killed you too, if you had said yes." Oliver shook his head. "Those years on that island, they didn't change me. I'm not a better person because of it, and I know I'm not going to make good choices now." Artemis shook her head, trying to comprehend what he was saying to her.
"Oliver - "
"Stay away from me," he finished, sounding almost sympathetic as he turned to leave the building. "Because if you don't, I'm just going to hurt you. It's what I do."
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