Author's Notes: So … my apologies for the long wait. My creativity has been sorely lacking recently (can I blame it on the heat? I'm totally blaming it on the heat). I finally had a breakthrough on Independence Day (happy belated Independence Day to my fellow Americans!) and started writing up a storm. Plus, I've gotten into this new game on Facebook that is borderline addictive. Travel news … I'm heading to DC during our winter break; made the hotel arrangements earlier in the week. The plan is to visit the Library of Congress, one of the places I've never seen in any of my many visits to DC. Given my love of libraries, I was absolutely horrified to realize I'd never been to LOC. Still working out what else I'm doing. And as I think I mentioned, I'm going to New Zealand in March … aside from a few things, I have a feeling that I'll be spending most of my time just sitting on the beach and chillaxing. And, of course, I have Atlanta and DragonCon coming up in less than two months. So … in this chapter, we have Gideon and Bastiaan reacting to the dinner and a few small revelations; something happens between Meg and Slade that neither expected; while Oliver is greeted with something even more unexpected upon his arrival in Destine.

Chapter Four

Didn't See That Coming

Destine, Missouri

Later that Night

"So … my son and your daughter?"

"Not … a … word."

Bastiaan de Vries leveled his friend and partner in crime with the dirtiest look he was capable of producing, because as God was his witness, if the next words out of his mouth had anything to do with speculation on the love lives of their respective children, Bastiaan would not be responsible for what he did next. As much as he adored Angel and was fully aware of how she came into the world, there were certain things he just didn't want to imagine his daughter doing (he was also self-aware enough to realize that Meg felt the exact same way about him). Gideon just smirked and added, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm just saying."

"Well, don't … that's my little girl you're talking about, Gideon. Or did you spend time imagining Slade and the late Adeline together?" Bastiaan fired back. He really hoped not … that would surpass weird and veer into creepy. Actually, forget 'veer,' that was a grand slam into 'creepy,' as his granddaughter would say. It seemed that Gideon felt the same, for he did a full body shudder. Ja … that was more or less what Bastiaan thought. He nodded to the other man and turned his attention to their surroundings. Hardly the first time he did so, but he learned years earlier to do more than one visual sweep of his surroundings; he often found things he missed the first or second times. Actually, that was true personally as well as professionally.

The men were in the room over the garage where they would be staying for the duration of their stay in Destine, after their dinner at his daughter's parish and a brief conversation back at Meg's home, complete with the alcohol Meg had on hand (which, she admitted, wasn't much … however, she tended to keep a stash of DeKuyper Advocaat on hand for him, knowing that it was his favorite). Actually, it was less of a room and more of a small apartment, only without a kitchen. However, the beds were comfortable and his daughter ever so thoughtfully provided them with a microwave and mini-refrigerator.

The decorating was neutral, neither masculine nor feminine, and he wasn't sure if that was Meg's influence or Slade's. It could go either way, as Meg tended to think about what made guests comfortable. And dinner was fun … Bastiaan met Sissy and her daughter several times in the past, but this was the first time he'd met her priest or anyone from their parish. He regarded himself as agnostic … but he enjoyed his conversation with Father Rick. The other man's faith wasn't something Bastiaan understood, but he learned a long time ago that he didn't have to understand something in order to respect it, and they found common ground on other points.

However, there was something bothering him … something which ate away at him ever since he heard Slade mention it to Meg. And rather than revisit the rest of the night (which tended to be eating spaghetti, joking with their children and grandchildren, and getting unexpected dirt on the aforementioned children and grandchildren … future blackmail material), Gideon asked quietly, "Does it bother you so much, that comment my son made to Meg about that incident in her childhood? I'm guessing it actually happened, otherwise you would have said something."

"Oh, it happened … that was actually the catalyst for Chloe reaching out to me. Of course, it took a few years, since I'd moved several times from my last known address. She wasn't sure if she and their brother could take care of Meg properly, especially given Chloe's profession and her being out of town so much. Of course, given our responsibilities, I couldn't take care of her properly, either … but for the first time, I knew that I had a daughter, that I had a child. No … what worries me is the timing. Or rather, what she told Slade the timing was," Bastiaan answered. Gideon frowned thoughtfully, and Bastiaan explained, "Like I said, it happened … but Meg was no more than six or seven, rather than the ten or eleven that she told Slade."

On the face of it, it wasn't that big of a deal. But it was strange to him, given what a traumatic event was, that she would get the time wrong. In fact, that was one of the things Chloe mentioned … 'maybe if she was older, ten or eleven or twelve, she could have gotten someone to take her seriously sooner.' Gideon said quietly, "It may be a defense mechanism, Bastiaan. She was so very young and helpless … she may have mentally upgraded her age to feel less helpless." Yes, that was possible. Gideon hesitated before continuing, "But Bastiaan, if you're afraid that Slade will consider this a lie … don't be. Meg was a child … aside from her age, everything else she told him was true, and he understands what trauma can do to a person's memory. It'll be fine."

Annnd, as he so often did, Gideon pinpointed exactly what was troubling him. He knew Gideon's son prized loyalty and honor, and he was … concerned that Slade would see Meg's statement regarding her age at the time of the incident as a lie. Gideon went on, "What she said happened, actually happened. That it took place a few years before she thought it did won't be an issue with my son. Now, if she made up the story entirely, that would have been a different situation entirely. The mind plays tricks on you. Slade knows that better than anyone."

Bastiaan swallowed hard, hearing the sadness in his friend's voice, and he asked softly, "Are you all right?" Gideon exhaled slowly, and Bastiaan went on, "I noticed the way you watched Slade during dinner. You weren't just making sure that he was truly free of the Mirukuru … were you?" Gideon shook his head, leaning against the wall. Bastiaan waited patiently. As much as they bickered (and honestly, they both enjoyed the bickering, though they toned it down tonight … Grant didn't like it), Bastiaan believed firmly that they would always have each other's backs.

"No. I never told you this, but I made a few visits to Lian Yu while Slade was imprisoned there. I knew about Mirukuru, knew what it did. And so, after arranging it with Lyla Michaels, I went to Lian Yu, to the prison to see my boy. The Mirukuru was starting to leave his system, and the withdrawal … it was painful to watch. He thought I was a hallucination, those times when I allows myself to be seen, and the bitterness in his voice … I hurt my child, Bastiaan. So many times. I know, we all hurt our children, one way or another. But … he would never tell me that. Not until he thought I wasn't real."

Bastiaan said nothing. Gideon exhaled once again, murmuring with a sad smile, "That man we dined with tonight? That was the first time I've seen anything of my little boy in far too long. He trusts your daughter … he may not realize it, but he does. He lets his guard down with her, teases her and lets her tease him in return. They don't see it yet, but they act as a team, with both children ... not just with Grant or with Angel, but both children, together. I can't remember the last time he and Adeline were a team." Yes, Bastiaan noticed the exact same thing during dinner (when he was pretending not to be amused by Slade and Meg acting like a pair of kids themselves, usually while Grant was away from the table … had to set a good example).

With that in mind, he said quietly, "I don't know if it means anything … but I do think it's a good foundation for whatever comes next." Gideon looked at him quickly and Bastiaan added, "You feel it too, don't you … that there's something simmering just below the surface, especially with Dory? She's far more than she seems." There was a long hesitation and then Gideon nodded, his dark eyes troubled. Bastiaan had a feeling that whatever would happen, it would come after they left Destine … and so all they could do was try to prepare their children, to ensure they, and their respective grandchildren, survived whatever was coming.

DSDSDSDSDSDS

In some ways, it seemed as if the day was coming full circle … their afternoon began with them sitting down on the sofa after spending a full morning working on the attic, in anticipating of her father's arrival in a few days … only to fall asleep, leaning against each other, and be awakened by Slade's loudmouth of a father. Hopefully, they could avoid the final part of that this evening, as both Meg's dad and Gideon Wilson were in the apartment over the garage … besides, once they both wound down, they would be heading to their own beds.

As she hoped, Slade and Grant enjoyed dinner at the parish hall … Grant, especially. The boy's head was on a pivot, looking everywhere as he shoveled food into his mouth. More than once, Slade had to caution his son to slow down before he made himself sick. Angel ate a bit more slowly, explaining about the parish hall between bites of food to her grandfather and Gideon Wilson, while Slade and Meg talked in quiet tones about what they would do the following day. The original plan was to head to the center to do some inventory and paperwork, but that was being amended. They would still head to the center and do some inventory, but they would be taking their respective fathers with them.

Both Slade and Meg were more than a bit stunned by the way the center was taking off. They were nowhere near done with the clean-up or renovations, but more and more parents were asking what sort of classes and/or workshops would be offered. At the suggestion of Mayor Butler, some of the young hooligans in town (his term) were helping with the smaller clean-up projects, whilst keeping the larger projects for Slade. And despite the request of the mayor, Slade decided against a big grand opening, since they were nowhere near ready for that.

Instead, he told Jacob that they were doing a rolling soft open, until the center was completely cleaned up. In the meantime, the offices and conference rooms on the second floor were turned into classrooms and crafts rooms, leaving the main floor open for self-defense classes. The classrooms would have adult supervision, in the form of Meg or Sissy or Lindy when she had time, but there would be no craft classes as such: just a table full of materials (mostly donated, but some bought by Meg and Slade) and youngsters could work on whatever their heart desired.

Of course, that created a new problem, especially when Meg realized they were getting more and more younger children … as in, four, five and six year olds. Slade warned their parents that they weren't a day care center. They weren't licensed, for one thing. If the parent wanted to drop them off for a few hours during the summer, or while they ran errands, that was one thing … but they weren't taking care of them for eight hours. Even so, that was an age where kids grew rapidly and Meg began stocking all of the classrooms with snacks.

And now, they sat in the living room, leaning into each other as they sipped the remaining Advocaat. Not Meg's favorite form of alcohol, but there wasn't much left in the bottle and she did hate to waste things. That reminded her, she needed to go through the spare bedroom again and check for anything that the kids could use for the crafts room. She shook her head at the random patterns of her thoughts and took another sip of the Advocaat.

This was happening more and more frequently … a quiet drink between the two adults, after the kids went to bed. Sometimes they discussed the day's events or what they planned for the following day, but far more frequently, they sat in companionable silence as they sipped whatever they were drinking. Sometimes, they watched tv, but that didn't happen often … both of them treasured silence. There were also a few time when Meg ended up dozing off, her head resting against Slade's shoulder, and she woke up to him carrying her into her room … times when Slade would do the same, his cheek resting on her hair, and while she couldn't carry him to bed, she could and did follow him to make sure he got to his room safely.

Tonight, neither of them were talking much … they both had entirely too much to sort through. Especially Slade, who hadn't been expecting a visit from his father, and all the baggage that entailed … including word of his older son, who vanished after a confrontation with Slade in Kasnia. He apparently reappeared in Austria and was being forced into cleaning up a crypt under St. Stephen's Cathedral. Meg needed to look that up, to see exactly what Joseph William Wilson was having to do. Later, though. Later.

Meg had some things to sort through as well … the revelation of what her father actually did for a living, for one thing, to say nothing of the discovery that their fathers knew each other, had worked together for years. There was also the revelation that her father helped to found a special unit, because of her husband's death. That … in truth, she didn't even remember that her father wasn't at Stephen's funeral. Most of her memories surrounding that awful time, she barely remembered … too lost in a haze of grief and loss and guilt. Her husband died and she hadn't been there. Hadn't even had a chance to kiss him good-bye that morning. Did she remember to tell him that she loved him before she hung up the phone the night before? Did she kiss him good-bye at the airport?

There was so much from that time that she didn't remember … the fact that her father couldn't be there was just one more thing. Her mother was, but she might as well not have been. She had a vague memory of her aunt dragging her twin sister away and hissing that if she couldn't be there for her only child on the worst day of Meg's life, then she should get her ass on the next available bus, and leave the comforting to her brother and sister. Clarissa Anderson left later that day. Meg vaguely registered that at the time. It didn't hurt until later. It also didn't occur to her until much later that the fog that descended upon her in that time could be a first sign that she inherited her mother's mental issues. Aunt Chloe reassured her that nothing could be further than the truth … that was grief, not mental illness.

The fact that the Jackals eventually subverted their charter … choosing instead to hurt people instead of protecting them … that didn't take away from what her father did. He was unable to be at Stephen's funeral not because he didn't want to be, but because he couldn't be, physically couldn't be … and so he honored her husband in the only way he could. That Joe Wilson, this Anatoli person, and Nylander chose to use their charter to harm others was on them, not on her father … something she would tell him every chance she could.

She must have sighed quietly, because Slade asked, his voice not much above a whisper, "Everything all right?" She nodded, her head resting against his shoulder (when did that happen? She didn't remember doing that) and Slade went on, "C'mon … let's get you to bed before I end up carrying you. It's been a long day, and it will be an even longer day tomorrow." Meg snorted at that, and Slade added teasingly, "Now, now, none of that, Margreet."

Ahh, he knew better than that! Meg poked him in the ribs with her left hand, drawing a squawk from him. Slade glowered down at her, which was more intimidating than normal due to his eyepatch, and he grabbed both of her hands … which served to pull her off against his body. Meg froze … and so did Slade. They stared at each other for several moments, Slade's brown eye focused solely on her. Her eyes shifted from his eye to his lips and back to his eye, his hands warm around her own. She whispered, a bit breathlessly, "Time for bed, I think." He nodded, his eye never leaving hers … but he didn't release her hands … not until a sleepy voice called up the stairs. And then Slade blinked, releasing her hands at the same time.

"Yes. Sleep well, Meg," he answered. She rose to her feet, Slade following only seconds later. He stared down at her for several moments, before lightly brushing a kiss against her forehead. For the second time in the last ten minutes, Meg froze … and Slade slipped away quietly, leaving Meg standing alone in her living room. She touched her forehead lightly where Slade kissed her, the ground suddenly unsteady under her feet. But was it the sensation of Slade's lips soft against her skin … or was it just the alcohol?

It had to be the alcohol. Meg took a deep breath and picked up the glasses they'd been drinking out of, before heading into the kitchen … still feeling more than a bit unsteady. She was trying so very hard not to read anything into that kiss. After all, it wasn't a real kiss (it was a real kiss, forehead kisses counted as real kisses), and it didn't mean anything to Slade (but he never kissed her before). She absolutely would not read anything into that kiss, because it was just a casual thing, nothing to be excited over (it wasn't a casual kiss, Slade didn't do casual kisses).

It would take her a long time to fall asleep that night, once she put the glasses in the sink and double-checked the kitchen … once she got to her own room and changed into pajamas. But she wasn't the only one, as Slade lay in the basement beside his son, listening to Grant's breathing as he wondered what, exactly, he'd been thinking … and how he would face Meg in the morning.

DSDSDSDSDSDS

She hadn't intended to stop at the spaghetti dinner … Rebecca wanted to go back to her room, and she was very uncomfortable with the distance she had to keep from Oliver. However, in a rare moment of thoughtlessness, Dory forgot to ask Oliver and William if they were hungry while they were still in St. Louis … and by the time she remembered, they were almost to Destine. Fortunately, they were near Rebecca's motel, so she dropped off the younger woman at her room, explaining to Oliver as they headed to the parish hall that Veronica wasn't comfortable with a lot of other people, especially not strangers. Oliver merely commented that he understood and steered the conversation to the town. That didn't surprise her … what did surprise her was the lack of questions about Slade. No, Oliver was more interested in the town itself.

Maybe it shouldn't have, as Oliver would see his older brother soon enough … Destine was something else entirely. Plus, he wasn't just here as Slade's annoying little brother, but as the mayor of Star City and would be meeting with Jacob Butler. You could do research about a city or a town on the internet, but it could only take you so far. And so, she answered his questions … successfully, for the most part, since she grew up here.

When they got to the church, William asked if he could remain in the car … he was getting tired and wasn't up to meeting new people tonight. That wasn't what he said, but both his father and Dory understood. And since William would stay in the car, so would his father. That was fine with Dory … she'd duck in, grab the food, and be out quickly. She wasn't expecting to see Gideon Wilson or Bastiaan de Vries. She met Bastiaan during his trips to Destine … but Gideon Wilson, when he was introduced to her, was a surprise. Not just to meet him, and learn that he was Slade's father, but to learn that he and Bastiaan were friends.

Her sense of unease grew … and they looked uncomfortable as well. She realized the first time she met Bastiaan that there was far more to him than what he'd told his daughter … for her own protection, of course. She realized during subsequent meetings that he'd realized that there was far more to her, as well. Oh, she wasn't a spy or an assassin … she was something far more dangerous. Perhaps Bastiaan himself was an old soul in the same way that Dory was, perhaps he was aware of people like John Constantine and others. Dory wasn't sure. She just knew that he was other, and that he recognized her as other.

Once she had the food and could end the conversation with the two spies, she escaped back out to the car where Oliver and William were waiting without encountering any more people. Once back in the car, she handed the food to Oliver, started the car and explained that they would be going to her diner to eat. She supposed she could have taken them to the hotel where they would be staying, where the mayor made the arrangements, but didn't think William would be comfortable doing that. And so, the next stop was her diner, where she had plenty of parmesan cheese and various types of dressing for the salad, and desserts of her own … and where a young boy could eat to his heart's content without worrying about spilling sauce or anything else on what looked like expensive cloth or wood.

Not surprisingly, William tore into the food with all the enthusiasm she'd expect from a boy his age, with only a few cautions from his father to slow down before he made himself sick. Oliver himself ate his food in a leisurely manner, taking occasional sips from the water he'd requested. Dory bustled around her diner, double-checking her inventory to allow the father and son to eat in peace. That also allowed her to duck into the pantry to check in with Shado and Tommy. Per his instructions, Tommy had been watching Joe Wilson in Austria, getting more and more aggravated with the younger male. Twice during Shado's report about what was going on in the town, he'd disappeared, muttering under his breath, 'what is he doing … you are such an idiot.'

Shado sighed and rolled her eyes, telling Dory that Tommy was becoming more and more annoyed with the younger Wilson's behavior. He wasn't learning a damn thing from his punishment, it seemed. Dory wasn't particularly surprised. Joe Wilson came from a long line of stubborn men. You had to be careful with the punishment you issued to them … they sometimes learned the wrong lesson from it. There were some similarities between Joe and Tommy … but there were also huge differences. And that was provoking Tommy's irritation.

Shado had her own issues … she was watching both Oliver and Slade, who were within a few hundred yards of each other and didn't know it. She wasn't sure how she would feel, how she would react when the two brothers were together again, and since their ability to manifest themselves was controlled by strong emotions, feared that she would get irritated and decided to knock their heads together. Dory wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing. Oliver could be just as stubborn as his older brother, after all, if not more so, something she pointed out to Shado.

Her granddaughter just laughed at that, before continuing with her report of what was happening in town while she saw to Rebecca and picked up Oliver and William. She knew, of course, about the arrival of de Vries and Wilson, but Shado entertained her with what happened when they first arrived at Meg's home. Apparently the senior Wilson decided to wake his son and his hostess from a much-needed nap … the entertainment factor came into play with the reactions of Slade and Meg. Meg had grabbed a paperweight that was a souvenir from her late husband and was fully prepared to throw it at her father and his uninvited guest. Dory wished she could have been there to see it.

Tommy popped back in at that point, explaining that Valentina Auer got wise to Joe being an idiot. Evidently, he found a way out that didn't involve going past the guards at the crypt. Hardly surprising, considering how old the cathedral was, and something Valentina evidently forgot: the tours being led through the crypts and catacombs under St. Stephen. She was working on a suitable punishment for him … Tommy suggested a few things dealing with the urns contain the viscera of rulers past, but one thing Dory learned over the last few weeks, ever since Tommy started watching over Joe … Valentina could be very creative indeed.

The young man also checked in on his father … much to his astonishment, Malcolm was actually making progress. Not for the first time, Tommy wondered what he did wrong, that he couldn't get through to his father … but this woman could. Dory reminded him of the concept of similar wounds causing similar scars. This woman, Kali, was a mystery to Dory … but she had a feeling that she'd committed crimes similar to Malcolm, perhaps even for similar reasons. It made sense, because after enduring such a loss … and a loss that you were partially responsible for … it was hard for anyone to say 'I understand how you feel' and not be laughed at.

It was rare that Dory lost track of time while talking to Tommy and Shado. Then again, most of the time, her diner was full of people, or completely empty. This was, in fact, the first time she'd had only two people in her diner, so maybe she could be forgiven. Even so, she was more than a little surprised when she heard Oliver call, "Dory? Where is the rest of your Parmesan cheese? The meat sauce was a little spicier than what William is used to and he doused his spaghetti in cheese. I … Shado?"

The name was choked out, rather than spoken, even as Dory whirled about to face the young man. Oliver Queen was staring at her granddaughter, blue eyes wide with shock and face roughly the same color as spoiled milk. Dory's mind threatened to shut down, because it shouldn't be possible for him to see Shado, but he was seeing her (why wasn't he seeing Tommy … oh. Because he disappeared as soon as Oliver appeared). The young mayor repeated, voice sounding even more strangled, "Shado?"

And her granddaughter smiled at him gently, answering in reply, "Hello, Oliver … it's so good to see you again."

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: (evil cackling) Yes, Oliver, that is really Shado … not a hallucination for you or Slade. And yes, Tommy disappeared … he's not yet ready to talk with Oliver, 'cause he still feels like a jerk for how he acted in the last few days and weeks before his death. Or, put more simply, he's still too ashamed. And yes, there is some foreshadowing of something to come where Joe and Tommy are concerned. Joe is really getting on Tommy's nerves. Until next time!