Discovery Devotion Destiny

by kayemen22

In the blink of an eye, everything changed. Oliver now had to figure out how to balance being the Mayor of Star City with being the Green Arrow. He had to do it all while being the parent to a crawling baby and a mischevous teen. New enemies would threaten all of it. He's going to need his wife...except she doesn't even remember he's her husband. Or that she has freaky powers.

20. Parental Guidance

Chapter 20

Parental Guidance

"Parents can only do what they think is best, with the experience they have. The learning curve for every parent is that there's a limit to how much they can shield children from."

-Matt Haig

---

It was happening again. Katie found herself trapped in this shell in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. Those rough hands were now underneath her shirt, moving across her stomach.

"He doesn't deserve you." spoke the deep gravelly voice. Soon the hand on her stomach slid further down.

Katie's eyes snapped open with a gasp. She felt her heart ramming in her chest as she tried to shake away the sick feeling from that dream. She looked over to Oliver who was still asleep. She turned away, looking up to the ceiling wondering where the hell these dreams were coming from. Katie looked over to the clock beside her bed and let out a sigh. She once again glanced over to Oliver who was still asleep before she reached over and lifted the blanket about to slip out of bed, only for Oliver's arm to wrap around her and pull her closer to him.

She let out a quiet laugh. "That super power seems to be getting stronger I see." she glanced over to the man whose eyes were still closed. She turned her body, bringing her arm around him as well as she gently slides her fingers through his hair.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked, the sleep still heavy in his voice.

"Bad dreams." she said and he opened his eyes to look over to her.

"Tell me about them." he said and Katie met his eyes. She hated talking about her dreams. She hated bringing them out of her unconscious mind and yet she knew they never truly stayed there anyway.

"I don't know. For the last couple of days I've been having this strange dream." she said. "I have no idea where I am, it's just total darkness, but I'm not alone. There's a man and he's—" she pulled her hand back and closed her eyes suddenly struck with the memory of the dream. She moved to lie on her back once again as she stared up to the dark ceiling.

"He's what?" Oliver asks, still grasping her hip.

"He's touching me." she says turning to look over to Oliver. "And I don't like it at all. And I want him to stop. I literally want to scream at the top of my lungs for him to just stop, but I can't. I can't talk and I can't move, I'm just stuck there forced to just let it happen." Oliver's eyes were still on her and she just looked away back up to the ceiling.

"Was this just a dream or did-" she felt him grip her waist unintentionally. "Twinkie did someone-"

"It's just a dream." she replied quickly before once again looking over to meet his eyes. She turned, placing a hand on his cheek. "Nothing like that ever happened to me. I promise." she let out a sigh. "It's just weird dreams." he looked at her for a moment before leaning over a placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep and let the bad things in your dreams know that I'm here and will slay them all." Oliver said as he pulled Katie closer. She chuckled as she slid her head on his chest letting the sound of his heart underneath her ear lull her back to sleep.

The next morning, Katie opened her eyes from a welcomed dreamless sleep. It would seem Oliver's threats to her nightmares worked. She lightly smiled turning over only for the smile to fall when she glances over to the empty space beside her where she expected to find her husband. Katie sat up, glancing over to the clock, eyes slightly going wide. It was almost ten o'clock, which means she had slept most of the morning. She jumped out of bed, about to head out of the room when she heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. She walked over, pushing the door open to find Oliver standing there brushing his teeth. He glanced over to her with a smile.

"Look who's finally awake." he said as he continued to brush.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You needed rest, and I can handle getting everyone ready for the day." Oliver said as Katie shook her head. She leaned against the door frame and just watched him. "I was able to get Ari up, and out for school. Lyla's mom has already been here for Robyn for the early zoo trip before JJ's birthday party." Katie folded her arms over her chest not saying a word, and Oliver glanced back over to her. "You needed to rest."

Katie shrugged. "I needed to rest." there was something in her tone that made him think she really wasn't agreeing with him. He just sighed before turning back to finish brushing his teeth. After a while, he felt her gaze still on him, so he glanced up to meet her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something in the way she was looking at him. "What?" he garbled, mouth still filled with tooth paste.

"What?" she asked feigning innocence. Oliver furrowed his brow before he grabbed his cup and filling it with water. After rinsing his mouth, he grabbed his towel to wipe his face before turning back to her. She was still standing there, leaning against the door frame staring at him, this time he noticed her slightly biting the corner of her lip.

"Twinkie, what are you doing?" he asked walking over to her.

"I'm not doing anything, just standing here."

"Well you're standing there with the look." he said. "A look you just can't have right now because we need to head over to the bunker." he brought his arms around her. "That look will have us locked in this room all day."

Katie slid her hands up the man's chest and let out a dramatic sigh. "I don't know what you're talking about Liver, there is no look." she pulled out of his grasp and he let out a groan before following after her.

"Twinkie-" she stopped once again turning to him with that innocent look on her face like she didn't know what she was doing. "I know you enjoy messing with me, and sometimes I enjoy it too, but it can't happen today."

"Sometimes?" she asked, her voice taking on a softer tone and he just knew she wouldn't make this easy for him.

"This is about whatever you have planned for our anniversary that you're refusing to tell me about." Oliver accused and Katie just chuckled.

"Now, you're just being paranoid. There is no look and I'm not messing with you. I need coffee, so just get your crazy in check." she shook her head as she left the room still laughing.

Damn, she smelled good. It was a stray thought Oliver had as Katie walked past him into the bunker elevator. He recognized the scent. It was a perfume that she has worn many times before. She wore it whenever they went on a date, or to a dinner party, she wore it at their second wedding. Each time she just seemed to know that at some point his face would be buried in the crook of her neck as the scent drove him wild. He shook his head as he stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button to bring them down to the bunker.

"There is a vigilante out there killing people." he said breaking the silence in the elevator. Katie looked over to him in confusion and he turned to her. "I need to focus on that."

"What's stopping you?" she asked and he turned to face her fully.

"You're wearing the perfume."

"The perfume?" she asked, once again with that innocent tone. "So first there's "a look" and now there's "the perfume." she shook her head. "What exactly do you think I'm doing?"

"I think you're trying to drive me insane." he replied taking a step to close the distance, but the doors to the elevator slid open revealing the team who turned to them.

"I don't think you need my help to accomplish that Mr. Mayor." she said before turning and stepping off the elevator. Oliver slid a hand across his face before stepping off as well.

The wonderful Felicity Smoak provided them with leads. She was able to track the bullets used by the vigilante to a gun store in the city and also tracking a known associate of the Dunn. Oliver looked down to the screen as Felicity was informing them of the exact location, and he was completely focused until that damn scent from the perfume passed by his nose once again. He lifted his eyes, turning back and glancing over to Katie who was very close beside him her eyes on the screen as well. She felt his eyes and looked over to him in confusion.

"Earth to Oliver." Felicity said and he turned to her and cleared his throat.

"Right, John, Curtis and Rene, go to the gun store, see if the owner knows who our guy is." Oliver said before turning to Rory and Evelyn. "You two talk to the old friend." he turned back to Felicity. "When Ari gets here, she will stick with you." Felicity looked as if she was going to say something, but Oliver turned taking his wife's hand and pulling her with him across the bunker away from everyone else.

"What are you-" they were a safe distance away from the others when Oliver finally stopped and hungrily captured her lips before she could finish that thought. Katie brought her arms around him, a soft moan escaping her lips. They pulled back from the kiss breathlessly as Oliver's hand slid through her hair as he leaned his forehead against her's.

"You need to leave now." he said and Katie simply pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips, and he groaned, dropping his nose to the crook of her neck. "You really need to go." she chuckled before tugging herself from his grasp and backing away from him.

"I have to help Lyla with the party anyway." she said with a small smile and he just shook his head as he began walking toward her. It was crazy how addicted to this woman he was, and yet it was an addiction he would always welcome.

"Tell me what you're up to."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Mayor." it was the second time today she's called him Mr. Mayor. It's the fact that whenever she calls that name, it's either said very loudly, or a muffled scream against his shoulder. She was definitely trying to drive him up a wall. "I will see you later." Oliver followed behind her, watching as she headed over to grab her bag.

Felicity looked over to Katie who looked as if she were about to leave. "You're doing the thing aren't you?" Felicity whispered and Katie just looked over to the woman and winked. "Now he's kicking you out." Felicity laughed but stopped when she looked over to see Oliver was watching them. She cleared her throat and turned back to Katie. "He's still watching you." Katie glanced over her shoulder to meet Oliver's eyes and she gave the man a smile and he just shook his head.

"I'm leaving." she mouthed to him before turning back to Felicity. "I gotta go or he's going to have a conniption." she headed over to the elevator, grabbing John's arm and tugging him with her.

"What are you doing?" John asked, glancing back to the confused look on Oliver's face. "I don't want to be put in the middle of whatever is going on between you two."

Katie pressed the button for the elevator. "Just walk me out." the doors opened and she stepped inside. John once again glanced back over to Oliver who was trying to figure out what was happening. John just shrugged before stepping onto the elevator. Oliver watched until the doors were closing before turning to Felicity who quickly turned away from him and sat down in front of her computer. He walked over to her, taking a seat beside her as she did her best to pretend as if he wasn't even there.

"What is she doing?"

Felicity looked over to the man with a look of confusion. "What is who doing?" Oliver looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Oh, just a heads up, Ari's totally going to have something to say about having to stick here with me while everyone else on the team is out there."

"I just—I don't know if she's ready for that part of this." Oliver said turning back to Felicity. "I feel like she has this idea of who we are and what we should be doing and I just don't think roughing up a people for answers fits into that world."

"But if it's a part of job, she has to learn it just like the others."

"Except she's not like the others." Oliver muttered and Felicity looked over to him. "And I think you know that." Oliver looked up to the rest of the team as they prepared for tonight. "I think she knows that and I also think they know it too which is why there's been a disconnect between them."

"She doesn't want you involved. Or me or John." Felicity said before turning back to her computer. "So I think we have to just butt out on this one." Oliver didn't say anything and so Felicity once again looked over to him as he watched the team.

John stood across from Katie after she pulled him into the elevator.

"Did you want to talk?" she asked and he looked over to her in confusion. "The party John." he just let out a sigh and turned away. "Your son's birthday party is today and you can't be there because your house is being watched by people who want to put you back in prison."

"You know I'm happy to be free, like I really am, but not being able to see my son." he turned back to Katie. "Missing his birthday-" John shook his head. "Feels like it's own brand of torture."

"Well that I would have to agree with." Katie said and John turned back to her. "I've missed first words, first day to day care, first trip to the park." Katie shook her head. "I know they're not a birthday, but I carried that child inside of body, and I planned to be there for every first and then life swooped in and took a big dump on that plan."

"A big stinking dump." John said as the doors to the elevator opened. "It's just another reminder of everything I'm going to miss."

"You know life takes a dump on our lives, sometimes it doesn't. Your son loves you and he knows you love him despite not being there. At least that's what I tell my self. You know there was a time when I thought I would miss it. That the last time I saw my daughter would be the last time I saw her and that every moment I hoped to witness was just gone." she shrugged. "And then life swooped in again with the good." she pointed to the man. "If anyone in this world deserves the good, it's you John and I think you're going to get it."

"Thanks."

"Any time," Katie said with a smile before walking from the elevator.

Ari hurried into the bunker, coming to a stop the moment she walked in and only saw Felicity sitting behind her computer. The girl glanced around looking for the others as she walked up the steps toward Felicity.

"Where is everyone?" Ari asked and Felicity glanced over to her, opening her mouth to speak, but she really didn't want to be the one to say it. She turned at the sound of footsteps, glad to see Oliver. Ari glanced over as well. "What's going on?"

"Felicity was able to get a lead on the gun store from bullets shot by this vigilante guy and also a possible old associate of Eric Dunn. The team has split up to do a bit of question and answer." Ari looked at him for a moment expecting more explanation.

"And why didn't they wait for me?" she asked.

"Because I told them not to wait." Oliver replied simply looking over to the girl. Ari silently stared at the man for a moment and he stared back expecting more of a reaction. Instead she pulled her backpack over shoulder and turned back to the elevator.

"Ari, wait-" Felicity stood to her feet before turning to Oliver. "Do something!"

"Ari, tell me why you're here?!" Oliver called and Ari stopped walking and looked over to him in confusion. "Why do you come here? Why do you want to be on this team?"

"The answer to that question is irrelevant since I've now been kicked off the team." she turned.

"I didn't kick you off the team." Oliver said as he walked over to her.

"Then what do you call purposefully benching a member of the team for an actual mission?" she asked turning back to him. "I've done everything right! I've followed instructions, and I watch my back and watch the team's back. I deserve to be out there just like everyone else."

"Ari, just answer the question." Oliver said and Ari looked at him for moment before shaking her head. "Why are you here?"

"This is ridiculous." she muttered before turning back to the man. "I'm here to help stop the bad guys, make this city better. I assumed that's why everyone else is here." she glanced over to Felicity who stood watching her as well. "I don't understand what that has to do with why I can't be out there."

"How should we stop the bad guys?" Oliver asked and Ari turned back to the man and she realized what he was doing. It was the answer she thinks he already knows that he wants to come out of her mouth. She dropped her head. "Ari-"

"We make them see." she said lifting her eyes back to the man. "We make them see that what they're doing is wrong. We force them to see that people's lives are at risk if they don't stop. We save the bad guys just like we save their victims." she shook her head and turned.

"Ari, wait-"

"No, I get that not everyone here will agree with that opinion." she stopped and turned back to him and he could see the girl fighting back tears. "That I'm probably some idealistic, naive child who wants to go out there every night to save her father so he goes home to his wife and daughter instead of with a bullet in his head."she shook her head. "Look if that doesn't make me the ideal candidate to be on this team, then fine." the doors to the elevator opened and she stepped inside.

"Ari, just-" she turned just as the doors were closing. Oliver tried to stop them, but he was too late as the doors slid closed, leaving him with the sight of the teen as tears fell from her eyes.

"Fuck!" Oliver snapped angrily slamming a fist against the elevator door.

"I don't understand what that was." Felicity said and Oliver turned to the woman. The glare in her eyes let Oliver know that she was not happy. "I don't understand what that was supposed to accomplish."

"I wasn't-" he turned back to the doors. "That wasn't supposed to happen." he turned back to Felicity with a shake of his head.

"What was supposed to happen, Oliver!" Felicity said, but stopped and turned at the beep from her computer.

"We're here." came Curtis' voice. Felicity cast one final dark look to Oliver before heading back over to sit. "I'm about to go in."

Oliver turned back to the elevator door and just dropped his head against it.

Katie stood at the window of John and Lyla's apartment, frowning at the sight of the black van parked across the street.

"US Marshals." Katie turned at the voice to see Lyla. "They're usually parked out there twenty four seven." the woman walked over to look out as well and just shook her head.

"I'm sorry," Katie said turning to the woman who just shook her head once again. Katie placed her hand on Lyla's shoulder and turned back to the apartment currently filled with balloons and party horns, along with all the mess left by a bunch of two year olds hyped up on sugar. The party was finally over. "Is it wrong of me to say, I'm glad it's over?"

Lyla laughed. "Says the woman who has to do this all again on a grander level." Lyla looked over to Katie. "With the whole big venue and fancy party games. I can only imagine the level of stress you're setting yourself up for." Katie laughed, but she knew the woman was right. "How do you think Robyn's party is going to go?"

"I have no idea. I've already been tricked into ponies, so I'm thinking this party could either be a totally epic birthday success, or failure."

"Have you been able to get Oliver to help?"

Katie sighed. "He has done as much as I've expected. He's got a lot going on. Plus I have you, Felicity and Thea, so I haven't totally been on my own with the planning. This Prometheus guy has really gotten to him, so he's just a little on edge."

"But I smelled the perfume, so I'm assuming you've been trying to change that." Lyla said and Katie turned to the woman with a smile. "How's that going?"

Before Katie could answer, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket, frowning slightly at the sight of Ari's number. She quickly answered. "Ari? What's-" Ari was crying, making it hard for her to understand. "Wait, slow down, what's going on?" Ari finally slowed down her words, and told Katie why she was upset and Katie just shook her head. "It's alright Ari, I will talk to him and-" Ari had hung up the phone and Katie let out a sigh.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Lyla said and Katie turned to her. "Is she alright?"

"No, she's not." Katie glanced down to her phone before dialing a number. "I'm having a cleaning service come over to finish cleaning up the rest of the apartment." Katie looked over to the woman. "I have to go have a conversation with my husband. You're sure you're alright with keeping Robyn?"

"Yeah, at this point I don't think I could split her and JJ up if I wanted to." Lyla said.

"Well call me if two toddlers is too much. Or if she disappears on you." Lyla just laughed. "But no seriously, watch her because she's like super stealthy."

"Hmm, I wonder where she got that from?"

Katie just rolled her eyes before heading for the door.

They had a new lead. Well Rory and Evelyn got the lead from Dunn's friend using some of Oliver's interrogation techniques. Apparently Dunn liked to hit banks based on the proximity to the police station. The further away the better. Based on the banks he's hit already, Felicity was able to narrow down just where he was going to hit next.

Katie seemed to step off of the elevator as the team was already geared up and ready to go. Most of the team was already heading out back, while Oliver was looking at something on the computer. He glanced over to see Katie and quickly headed over.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "What is painted on your face?"

"They're butterflies, but that's not the point, what the hell did you say to Ari?" Katie asked and Oliver let out a sigh. "She called me crying, saying you kicked her off of the team."

"I didn't kick her off of the team, look-" he glanced over his shoulder. "I can't do this now-" he turned back to Katie. "We can all talk later tonight." he didn't wait for her to respond before he was turning and running off.

Katie growled slightly before looking over to Felicity who was pretending she wasn't listening. The blonde glanced over to Katie and sighed.

"Fine, I was eavesdropping, and yes it was totally his fault." Felicity said. Katie shook her head before walking over to take the seat beside Felicity. "I think I knew what he was trying to do , it just wasn't handled the right way." there were a few beeps from her computer and Felicity turned with a slight frown.

"What's going on?"

"I'm being hacked." Felicity said as she began typing. "Wait a-" she growled as her fingers rapidly moved across the keys.

"Felicity-"

"Just, no talking." Felicity's eyes were glued to the screen, her fingers never stopping. "Oh you're good, you're-"Felicity stopped typing and Katie looked from the woman to the computer totally confused.

"What just happened?" Katie asked and Felicity stared blankly at the monitor before a smile curled at her lips. She turned to Katie who was still wasn't sure what was going on. "Smoaks?"

Star City Allied Bank. It was the current bank being hit by Dunn and his crew. Oliver swung to the roof of the bank, instantly hearing the sounds of gun fire. He glanced down in time to see John and the others coming to a stop, jumping out and returning fire to the Vigilante who stood on the scaffold shooting at the robbers. Dunn and his crew returned fire as well, but Oliver grabbed his bow and fired a bola arrow, that wrapped the cables around one of Dunn's crew members and pulled them from the shots.

The Vigilante, stopped shooting. "I'm not here for you!"

"Then stop trying to kill us!" Curtis yelled.

John glanced over spotting Dunn who pulled off his mask. He quickly stepped forward, lifting his gun. "Dunn!" the man met John's eyes before John let off a few shots. It didn't stop the man who ran off. "I'm going after him." The others followed.

Dunn's partner, now left alone, tried to make a run for it, but the Vigilante fired on him, knocking him to the ground. The Vigilante jumped from the scaffold about to finish off the man, when a flash bomb exploded in front of him making stumble back. The moment the flash was gone, the Vigilante turned, only to be kicked, before a leg swept under his feet knocking him on his back. He quickly made to pick up his gun, but a foot slammed on his hand stopping him. He finally looked up to see another masked face, this one seeming to be a young girl in a black suit, a prominent yellow and orange flame on the front.

"It's time for you to stop. This has gone on long enough. Enough people have been hurt, enough people have died. You need to stop." Fire Light spoke through a modulator.

"No, I don't think so!" he yelled before kicking the girl's ankle, causing her to stumble back. The Vigilante jumped to his feet, and lifted his gun only to pause to see as the girl takes a step forward, her ankles are tied with a cable that knocks her from her feet. He lifts his eyes to see the Green Arrow swing down in front of the girl.

"Hey, keep your guns down!" the Green Arrow ordered.

"So then you can just shoot me?!" the Vigilante said with a shake of his head. "We're on the same side."

"You're out of control!"

"This city is out of control, and you haven't been able to save it." the rest of the team ran over, but the Vigilante fired off a couple of shots near their feet. "Take one more step, and one of you isn't going home tonight." he turned back to the Green Arrow. "If you're not with me, you're against me."

The Green Arrow answered firmly, "Then I'm against you."

"Then you're a dead man!" and without another word, the Vigilante lifted his gun and fired a couple shots making the team dive for cover. When they turned back around he was gone.

"Think we scared him off." Curtis said.

"He'll be back." Oliver said still glancing down the alley.

"Kind of reminds me of you don't you think?" Rene asked looking over to Oliver who just shook his head before turning, expecting to find Ari somewhere and yet she was gone too.

"Where did she go?" he asked and they all glanced around with a shrug.

"So has she finally gone off the deep end, or did she really think going up against that guy was a good idea?" Evelyn asked looking over to Oliver who didn't say anything before shooting a zip arrow and flying up to the roof.

Oliver had changed and headed back to the house, where he stormed inside, letting the front door slam behind him. He stalked inside, about to head upstairs when he heard movement in the kitchen and headed that way first. He pushed open the door to kitchen to find his wife sitting on the counter, her hand in a box of cookies. She glanced up to him with a furrowed brow, as she chews the cookie in her mouth.

"Where is she?" Oliver asked and Katie tilted her head to look at him. "Is she upstairs?" Oliver made to go upstairs, not expecting a cookie to come flying at his head. He stopped and turned back to Katie with a wide eyes.

"Don't you dare." she said and he shook his head.

"Do you know what she did?" Oliver said still clearly angry. "She somehow hacked into Felicity's computer, figured out where Dunn was going to be and-"

"No, she hacked into Felicity's computer because it's faster or whatever." Katie said and Oliver looked over to her with a quirked brow. "You see, Ari created an algorithm that she used to determine Dunn's robbing patterns. She figured out his whole distance from the police station gag, figured out where he was going to hit next and that's how she ran into you and the team."

"Her plan of attack was sloppy and reckless and did not include the team at all." Oliver said walking over to Katie. "If I didn't step in when I did, he would've shot her, and then what?" he shook his head. "She let her guard down and she was trying-"

"She was trying to talk to him." Katie said and Oliver turned to her. "She was trying to get through to him." Oliver slid a hand over his face. "Oliver, Nyssa brought Ari back to the bunker yesterday because she's afraid to train her and I think you are too." Oliver turned back to Katie. "Because she realized just what you are realizing. Ari's motivation to do this has absolutely nothing to do with revenge, or some creed, or even some divine thought that this was her purpose. How do you train someone who hasn't seen the darkest of the darkest? Who hasn't been pushed to their very brink?" Oliver dropped his head. "You're afraid to train her because you don't want to change her. You don't want her to lose that light she sees in the world. You don't want her to lose that hope she has for saving the people in this city."

"I asked her why she wanted to do this." Oliver said turning back to his wife. "And she told me that she wants to show the bad guys that what they're doing is wrong. She says she wants to save the bad guys just like we save their victims." Oliver walked over, bringing his arms around Katie's waist. "And in that moment I just knew that I couldn't do it. That I didn't know how to do it. I stop the bad guys, tie them up and send them to jail and never give them a second thought." Oliver turned away with a slight shake of his head. "And she stood there and said that and I was in awe." he turned back to Katie. "I don't know how to train that. I don't know how to help her nurture that, or how to help her build it into something that actually makes a difference." he let out a sigh. "For four years, I've been at this. Trying to make this city better, and yet there are people out there like this Vigilante."

"Liver-"

"No, him being out there only proves that we haven't actually done anything. We haven't gotten the job done."

"I find that hard to believe with all the people you've saved. The Undertaking, Slade, Ra's, other idiots with other weird names."

"I've been trying to be a legitimate hero, which means that I lean on the courts and the justice system." Oliver shook his head. "The fact that someone like Eric Dunn is out there right now should tell us something."

"Like what?"

"Maybe none of it's working." Oliver said pulling from her grasp at the sound of his phone beeping. He pulled out his phone to see the text from Felicity. "The other two members of Dunn's crew are in ACU custody. They're going to be questioned. I should get down there, maybe one of them will reveal where Dunn is hiding." he began backing away. "Tell Ari I will talk to her later." Katie didn't say anything and Oliver let out out a sigh. "You're upset."

"Go, see if someone gives up Dunn's location, find him before the Vigilante does." Katie hopped off of the counter to find Oliver still standing there. "Oh now you don't want to run away?" Oliver let out a sigh. "We will finish this, go before I throw another cookie at you." she pointed a finger at him. "You owe me more cookies." and there was the smile that pulled at his lips that only she could do after this crappy ass night.

"I love you." he said and Katie just shook her head before reaching into the cookie box to grab another cookie to throw, only for him to hurry out the door. Katie let out a light chuckle as she took a bite of her cookie and headed upstairs.

She walked over to Ari's door, lighting knocking. "Hey it's me, the guardian you like right now. Can I come in?" she waited for a moment, before the door pulled open, and there stood Ari.

"I told you I don't want to talk anymore." Ari said walking back over to her desk to sit behind her computer.

"What are you doing now? Hacking into the Pentagon?" Katie asked taking a seat on the edge of the girl's bed. "You know I should once again confiscate the tech shop of Ari for what you did. You hacked Felicity. Nobody hacks Felicity."

"She's going to murder me, isn't she?" Ari asked turning back to Katie. "I didn't think it was going to work."

"I think it only worked because she let it. She realized it was you and what you were doing and so she just let you hack her." Katie said. "Ari, you have nothing to prove. Not even Oliver."

"Apparently I do, because while everyone else gets to go out and actually fight this guy, I have to sit with Felicity who doesn't need help with anything." Ari shook her head before turning back to her computer. "I thought everything was good, but apparently I did something wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Ari—you just—I just don't think he expected to train someone like you." Ari looked over to the woman in confusion. "I don't think he knows how."

"I don't understand. What makes me so different than everyone else." Katie smiled at the girl, surprised that she didn't see it. Katie simply stood to her feet and walked over and placed a kiss to the top of the girl's head.

"Everything." Katie said. With one more kiss, Katie turned leaving the girl who sat there still a bit confused. Ari just shook her head before turning to her computer, typing a few keys and bringing back up the surveillance footage from inside the SCPD. She watched as one of Dunn's crew was being processed, and getting ready to be questioned. Ari typed a few keys, the woman's mugshot and record appearing.

"Aright Laura, let's see if you know where Dunn is hiding?"

Katie headed back down the hall, her phone in her hand pressed against her ear, once again listening to the voice mail of Michael.

"You know I'm starting to get annoyed. If it's bad news, you might as well tell me so we can handle it. Either way, I'm going to find out." Katie ended the call before stepping into her bedroom and dropping to sit on the edge of the bed. She once again searched up the company in hopes of seeing any news, but nothing. If Michael was voted out, there would definitely be news of it. She let out a sigh before tossing her phone on the bed and heading over to the closet.

Oliver stood on the other side of a one way mirror observing Adrian's interogation of one of Dunn's crew, Laura Buser. He had to admit, he was impressed by Adrian and his ability to get answers.

"How about you just tell me where Eric is, and I'll let you walk out of here." Adrian said and the woman just sat back in her seat.

"I said go to hell." the blonde said and Adrian just looked at her. "What? Do you need directions or something?"

"No." Adrian shook his head, the cold glare locked on the woman. She didn't want to show it, but it made her nervous. "I've been to Hell, and that makes me somebody that you do not want to screw with." she didn't say anything and without a word, he slammed is hand on the skull mask on the table making the woman jump.

"Try the Papp Motel." she said practically shaking.

Oliver turned, leaving the adjoing room, just as Adrian was stepping out as well.

"That was impressive." Oliver said and Adrian sighed as they walked.

"It got results at least." Adrian said clearing his throat. "I'm going to call judge Balderrama, get a warrant out to Papp Motel."

"Quick as you can. I don't think the vigilante waits for warrants." Oliver turned to leave, already knowing his next stop was the Papp motel. He just didn't know he was going to have back up from the teen who'd just watched the interrogation as well.

Ari closed the screen of her laptop and quickly stood to her feet. She grabbed her gear before she stuffed it into her back pack and looked over to the window.

"That's not going to work." she muttered before turning to the door.

Ari walked down the hall toward Katie and Oliver's bedroom. She knocked on the cracked door before pushing it open, and hearing the sound of the shower. Ari walked over to the bathroom door and knocked before cracking open the door.

"Hey, Katie!" Ari called

"Ari?!" Katie called over the water. "What's up?"

"Uh, Felicity just called. They have a lead on Dunn, she says I should come down to help." Ari said looking at the door. Katie didn't say anything for a moment and that made her nervous.

"What did Oliver say?!" Katie called.

"I don't know. I don't think he knows, Felicity called. Said she thought I should be there with the rest of the team. I guess if there's a problem she will take care of it." more silence followed the lie and Ari dropped her head to the door.

"Well, alright. Be careful." Katie replied and Ari lifted her head with a smile.

"Sure thing! I'll see you later." and without another word, Ari turned and practically ran out the door before her lies were found out.

Ari parked her car a couple of blocks from the motel. She found an empty parking lot where she quickly changed into her suit before heading off to the motel.

She was almost there when she heard what sounded like an explosion. She quickly ran to figure out what was going on, only to stop at the sight of the Vigilante standing there with a gun pointed at the now burning motel. Ari didn't hesitate as she ran toward the man. He heard the footsteps, and turned lifting his gun, only for the girl to throw something at him. He paused and looked down to see some kind of patch on his kevlar and in an instant a jolt of electricity went through him knocking him off his feet. Ari kicked the gun from away from his hand.

"So did you get him?!" she asked pressing a button of the taser and sending another jolt of electricity through the man causing him to growl in pain. "How much you want to bet you didn't. That my friend got here in time and save the guy you were trying to kill." she took a step to closer and the Vigilante jerk a leg under her feet, knocking her to the ground. He quickly stood to his feet, stomping on the taser and looking down to the girl trying to catch his breath.

"This world is burning kid. People like Dunn, his crew, they are destroying this city and-"

"Dunn didn't burn a hole in the side of a motel!" Ari snapped rolling away from the man and standing to her feet. They heard the sirens in the distance, but neither turned away from the other. "How many people were in that building when you shot that explosive? How many people died for this vendetta you have for one man!" Fire Light shook her head. "You're right, Dunn is scum, he needs to be stopped. We will catch him and put him in prison."

"He did that, got out and just went back to his old ways. He has to be stopped because if he isn't only more people will suffer. One day kid you're going to see there truly is no justice in our justice system. Justice happens here, where we make it."

"Look at what you did!" she said pointing the burning motel. "the people you hurt! With your logic, you're just as bad as Dunn, and if that's true then it's you who needs to be stopped." he didn't say anything and Ari wondered if something she said got through to him. "Just stop now before more innocent people are hurt. You can stop this now, before it gets too far." she took a step toward him. "Stop this before you become the person you want to protect this city from."

"Help!" a voice called and Ari turned her head to the building. She turned back only to find the Vigilante gone. The girl let out a sigh before turning back to the building.

"Ari?" Felicity's voice came from the comlink Ari had turned on the moment she headed for the motel. "Paramedics and police are on the way, you need to get out of there."

Felicity's eyes were glued to the monitor. She saw the blinking heat signature that was Ari standing in front of the burning motel. John, Evelyn, Rene, Rory, and Curtis stood behind her after listening to Ari's exchange with the Vigilante. "Ari! Do not go in that building!"

"Did you know the average person can hold their breath for about 30 to 90 seconds." Ari said taking a deep breath. "I'm like so cooler than an average person." and without thinking, Ari turned off the comlink and went running into the building.

"Ari!" Felicity yelled standing to her feet. "Ari!" the woman slammed her hands on the table and stalked away.

Rene looked down to the screen before looking over to Felicity and then John.

"I'm going." he said about to turn to get suited up.

"Me too," Curtis and Rory called following the man.

"Guys-" John turned and they stopped and turned to him. "Oliver is closer, he can double back to make sure she's alright."

"Well can someone call him!" Rene said pointing to the monitor. "She just ran into a burning building with no back up like an idiot!"

"Hey!" Felicity snapped stalking back over. "Idiot is the last thing that girl is, and that is the last time you ever refer to her as such, do you understand."

It was the tone that made Rene calm down a bit. "I'm just saying she needs help. Us being her teammates, I assumed that's what we did."

They all turned at the sound of footsteps to see Oliver. The man walked over and slowed his steps as he saw the look in their eyes.

"What?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

John took a step forward. "It's Ari. She was the Papp Motel." Oliver looked at his friend in confusion. "she tried talking to the Vigilante again when she heard someone calling for help from inside of the building. Oliver she-"

Oliver didn't listen to another word as he turned prepared to go back to that motel and search every inch of it until he found her.

"Hey-" Ari's voice spoke from the computer and they all hurried back over. They listened to the dry coughs before she continued. "I'm fine. I'm walking back to my car."

Oliver reached over and pressed a key, "Get in the car, and get here now."

"Felicity? You sound different when you're angry." Ari joked and Oliver shook his head. "Did I at least get a smile?"

Curtis leaned forward, "Not exactly."

Oliver paced back and forth in front of the elevator. He was going out of his mind waiting for it to finally open and for Ari to be standing there so he could just know that she was alright. He stopped when it finally happened. The doors slid open and there stood Ari, her face covered in soot as she coughed into her shoulder. She stopped and looked over to the man before walking over to stand in front of him. He didn't say anything and Ari didn't know what that meant. She expected yelling. Lots and lots of yelling. Silence made her nervous. She actually slightly jumped when he took a step forward and brought his arms around her in a hug. The girl let out a sigh, returning the hug she didn't even know she needed until this moment.

The hug lasted for a few moments before Oliver pulled back and looked down to the girl.

"Never do that again."

"Which part exactly?" she asked and the hard glare let her know he wasn't amused, but she was honestly interested in the answer. He shook his head and turned to walk away. "No, which part?!" he stopped and turned back to her.

"This guy is dangerous, and you trying to get through to him or whatever on your own was dangerous and stupid." he said and Ari shook her head. "Look Ari I get you think you know how this works, but the world isn't as easy as that. You can't just talk to someone and hope they change. Sometimes it works, but some times it doesn't and when it doesn't more drastic measures need to be taken."

"Like a bullet to the head?" she asked and he sighed before taking a step toward her and she shook her head as she took a step back. She glanced between the team. "We should always offer redemption before persecution and you can say I'm foolish or that I'm ignorant to how the world works. Maybe I am those things." she turned back to Oliver. "If that makes me unfit to be on this team then-"

"Ari, you're not being kicked off the team."Oliver said before looking over to the others and letting out a sigh. "She's not being kicked off the team."

"I mean given some of her decisions today, maybe it should be considered." Evelyn said and Ari just sent a glare her way. "I'm sorry, I can't be the only one here who thinks this is crazy, that this 'let's all hold hands' crap with criminals isn't a ridiculous idea." she turned back to Ari. "Bad guys are bad, there is no changing them, there's only stopping them before they do more bad things. You should know that better than anyone." Evelyn expected a response, a whiny insult, but Ari just looked at her for a moment before turning about to step on the elevator. She shook her head before turning back to the others.

"Uh, he isn't doing this out of some twisted need to be a hero. This is more than just him stopping these guys. He believes in what he's doing and nothing will stop him from doing it." she shook her head. "He thinks it's his purpose." she looked back over to Oliver for a moment. "Not sure how that helps, but I hope it does."

She turned once again to leave. "you keep walking away, Ari." Oliver said and the girl stopped, but didn't turn. "No one has told you to leave, but you keep walking away. You think you have some insight into the Vigilante. How does it help us find him?"

"I don't know." she replied turning back to face. "Maybe it doesn't."

"Well out of everyone here, you've spent more time with him, talked to him and listened. How do you use that?" Ari looked at him for a moment.

"I don't know." she said again and Oliver just gave a nod before walking over to her.

"Then stay here, work with your team and figure it out." he placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's a reason you're here Ari and you can't run away from it."

A beeping sound came from Felicity's and they all turned as a news report appeared. They all moved in behind Felicity as the report played. Three people were dead, five injured. Ari dropped her head, not expecting a nudge of her arm. She looked over to Rene who shook his head.

"No matter what you think, you couldn't have saved those people. You were an idiot for attempting and-" he glanced over to the glare Felicity was sending him and he just rose his hands before turning back to Ari. "Look we give those people justice by stopping this guy." Ari gave him a nod before turning back to the screen.

"Except this is the last thing he wants. He stops bad guys. Like he's so blinded by his need to stop Dunn that he's not even caring about the innocent people in the cross-hairs."

"So are we psychoanalyzing the guy or trying to find a way to stop him?" Evelyn snipped. She glanced over to Ari who once again ignored her and at this point it was getting annoying. She got a look from Curtis, "What?" the man just shook his head.

"It's like he's fixated on Dunn. He won't stop coming after him until he kills him." Ari said glancing over to Oliver before turning to Felicity. "what did you find out from Dunn?"

"Well the story Dunn laid out is legit. His conviction in '07 could be the basis for "Making a Murder" season two." Felicity said.

"Eric Dunn might not be a choir boy, but he doesn't deserve a death sentence." Oliver replied and they all looked at the monitor.

"Point made." Rene sighed.

"The question being, how do we stop Vigilante?" Oliver asked.

"Better yet, how do we find him?" Evelyn asked looking over to the man.

"Well, we have Dunn in protective custody downstairs. I guess we can't just leave him hog-tied on Main Street and then wait for Ski Goggles to show up." Felicity suggested totally over this guy, wanting him found and stopped. Especially after Ari running into a burning building to try to save people he almost killed.

"Let's assume that's not plan A." John said.

"We work the problem." Oliver said when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out to see a text message. He frowned slightly in confusion.

"Everything alright?" John asked and Oliver looked over to him and then to the others who were all looking at him.

"Uh yeah, I just-" he looked back down to his phone. "I have to go."

"You don't sound so sure." Felicity said looking over to the man with a quirked brow. "You sure everything is alright?" Oliver looked over to the woman.

"It's Twinkie, she-" he looked back down to his phone. "Wants me to meet her somewhere."

"Where?"

"No idea, she just gave me address." Oliver said before looking back over to the others. "I'm going to change and see what this is about." without another word the man headed off to change.

"Wonder what that was about?" Curtis said glancing around before turning to Felicity who didn't seem as curious as the rest of them. "You know what that is about?" she glanced over to him and just shrugged before turning to Ari who was still staring at the monitor. She felt the eyes on her and turned to Felicity with a quirked brow.

"What?" Ari asked and Felicity stood to her feet and the look in her eyes made Ari back away slowly. "What did I do?"

"You mean before or after I explicitly told you not to run into a burning motel? Or maybe is was attempting to hack me?!" Felicity asked and Ari just sighed. "I think we need to go over the rules again." Ari just shook her head wildly.

Oliver pulled his car to a stop and looked out the window to some random bar that seemed to be placed in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't too far out from the city, but this bar did seem secluded from pretty much everything. He looked back down to his phone verifying his gps had brought him to the right place. This was the place. He looked back out the window before stepping out of the car.

"What the hell is this, Twinkie." he muttered shutting the car door and walking over to the bar and glancing up to the name that was illuminated. "Earl's" Oliver read, the E flickering. He just shook his head before stepping inside. Oliver looked around the bar that looked like something out of an old movie. He stared in confusion at all the Elvis memorabilia and pictures that decorated the walls. Suddenly music started playing and Oliver turned, finally seeing the woman who invited him to this bar of crazy. The moment he saw her, he paused to look at her, because his wife was definitely not wearing what he last saw her in. Her back was to him as she seemed to be skimming over a juke box, so she couldn't see him full on ogling her right now.

She was wearing a red dress that looked to be tied at her waist. The skirt was short. Actually shorter than she usually wears. Her hair was in soft curls that seemed to be pulled to one side.

"So this jukebox only has Elvis songs." Katie said glancing over her shoulder to Oliver with a slight smile. "Any requests?" Oliver didn't say anything as he walked over to her. "Blue Moon? Hound Dog?" she turned back to the list of songs. "Burning Love?" she gasped when his arm wrapped around her waist and she turned to face him.

"Where the hell are we?" Oliver asked, his hands now sliding around her.

"We're at Earl's." Katie said simply before nudging her head. Oliver quirked a brow before looking over to the old man who was sitting behind the bar watching something on the television. "Hey Earl, this is Oliver!" the old man just waved a hand not even bothering to glance in their direction. Katie shook her head before turning back to Oliver. "That's Earl." he just looked at her and she knew he wanted more explanation, instead she smiled. "Want to get a drink?" she pulled out of his grasp and headed to the bar, but stopped when she realized he wasn't moving.

"Twinkie, what is this?" he asked and Katie sighed before walking back over to him.

"This is drinks. You, me, in this bar I rented out-" she pointed a thumb behind her. "Earl." she smiled at the man. "You needed to step away, decompress, and just relax and I'm going to help you do that." she nudged her head behind her. "C'mon, we have to hurry. We only have Earl until his show goes off and then we're on our own with the drinks."

For the first time in a very long time, Oliver could truly say that he wasn't thinking about Prometheus, or the Vigilante, and being the mayor. Right now he was sitting in a bar, across from a beautiful woman in a red dress whose smile could steal the world around them.

"Ok, tell me the truth," Oliver said and Katie quirked a brow as he leaned in. "Today, you messing with me, is this date a part of it?" Katie just laughed and Oliver's smile widened. "It was wasn't it?"

"Ok honestly, I read this stupid magazine and there was this article about how to land your crush." she laughed and Oliver looked over to her in amusement. "I didn't think it was going to work, but I was curious."

"How to land your crush?" Oliver laughed. "Why would you need an article to land me, when I'm already yours." she smiled. "And why are we in this bar, when we have an entire child free home and no noise restrictions." Katie's smile slightly fell as she sat back in her seat. "What?"

"Nothing just, I think we need this too." she said with a shrug. "Just you and me, out having fun...talking, laughing. We don't get these moments that often." Oliver looked at her for a moment before reaching over and taking her hand. "Liver, it's-"

"I'm going to make you a promise." he said and the woman sighed. "And trust me, I know how you feel about my promises. I-" Katie placed her hand on Oliver's.

"No promises, no declarations, just drinks and fun-" she nudged her head. "If memory serves, I'm sort of on a winning streak." she stood to her feet and Oliver turned to see her heading over to the pool table. Oliver stood to his feet and headed over as well as she gathered the balls. "Earl, why are there balls missing!" she called and the old man didn't even reply. She looked over to see him flick off the television and stand to his feet. She shook her head. "Have a goodnight Earl!" the man simply waved before disappearing through a door behind the bar.

"Earl is a man of few words." Oliver said and Katie chuckled as she placed one of the billiards down.

"So much for pool." she said looking over to Oliver before glancing around the bar. He'd just walked over before she was walking off away from him. He let out a sigh before turning to see her walking over to the dart board. She pulled the darts from the board and turned to the man. "One would think that I'm a fool for challenging you to a game of darts." Oliver walked over to her, plucking one of the darts from her hand, as he kept his eyes locked on hers. With a flick of his wrist, the dart went flying. Katie turned to see the dart right in the center of the bullseye.

"I'd never call you a fool Twinkie." Oliver said and Katie laughed as she turned back to him. "Maybe a bit delusional if you think you could beat-" she shoved him and he couldn't stop laughing.

"Well then Mr. Mayor I say we make this game a bit more interesting." Katie said and Oliver looked at her with a quirk brow.

"Twinkie, I'm not taking my clothes off in this bar." Oliver said and Katie burst out laughing.

"Oh no, strip darts is the next date, this date we play for secrets." she said with a mischievous smile. "I throw, you throw, whoever is furthest from the bullseye has to reveal something the other doesn't know about them."

Oliver smiled as he walked over to her. "You ready to spill your guts Twinkie?" Katie just shook her head.

"I'm going to have to give you a handicap." she said as she reached up and began untying his tie. Oliver's hands instinctively wrapped around her waist once again, this time easing back to grab her butt. She stopped and looked up to this eyes. "Sorry, grab ass is also the next date." she pulled the tie from his neck and pushed his hands away. "Lean down." he looked down confused, but then sighed as he leaned down to let the woman wrap the tie around his eyes. When she was done, she waved a hand in front of his eyes to make sure he couldn't see. "Aright, you ready?" Oliver pulled off his blazer, and undid a few buttons on his shirt, before rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. He held out a hand and Katie placed the dart in his palm. "Did you need any help?"

"No, I got it, thank you." he said and Katie just snickered as she watched the blindfolded man preparing to throw the dart. She waited for the perfect moment, so the instant his arm retracted, she slid a hand around him, sliding across his chest. He practically dropped the dart as it flew from his hand. He pulled the tie from his eyes to see the dart not even close to the bullseye. He turned his eyes to Katie. "So that's the game we're playing?" he pulled the tie from around him and gave a nod. "Your turn."

Ari couldn't look at the monitor anymore. Her eyes were getting tired. She stood to her feet and rubbed her eyes as she walked off to find coffee. She couldn't stop thinking about him though. This Vigilante. Oliver was right. She's spoken to him, listened to him. There had to have been something in those interactions that could lead them to this guy. When she reached the kitchenette, she grabbed her mug and placed it under the coffee maker and waited. She leaned against the counter, her eyes closed when she heard footsteps. She opened her eyes to see Rene who stopped and glanced over to her before walking over to the refrigerator.

"You know it really was stupid." he said breaking the silence and turning to her. "You trying to take on this guy on your own. I mean you have a whole team here."

"It doesn't feel like much of a team sometimes." Ari said before hearing the beep of the coffee maker. She turned grabbing her mug before heading over to condiment drawer for creamer and sugar.

"Look I know we give you hard time sometimes-"

Ari looked over to him with a quirked brow. "Sometimes? I mean there's the underhanded insults, none of you sparring with me, the fact that everyone was just ok that I was left out of both missions today." she shook her head as she turned back to her coffee. "Like I said, doesn't feel like much of a team."

"Except we will always have your back." Rene said and Ari looked over to him. "Fine, whatever, the other stuff is just stuff, but when we're out there and we're risking our lives, it's each other we have to depend on." he walked over to her. "So pipsqueak, no more facing these douche bags alone or running into burning buildings. You want to do something stupid, then you call us, because more than likely we'll be down." he gave a nod before walking off.

"Even Evelyn?" Ari asked and Rene let out a snort and looked over to her.

"Don't worry about Evie." he shook his head. "Look I get what you said back there, what you think this all about and sure I might not completely agree, I think if it works then cool. You got to make it work if you think it can, and don't worry about anyone who doesn't agree. Whether it works or not, we have your back."

Ari smiled with a nod. "I feel like this is the longest conversation we've ever had. You're smarter than I thought you were."

"And you're as annoying as I thought you were." he said before walking away. Ari just laughed as she turned and grabbed her coffee.

Katie pulled the tie from eyes and looked at the dart board and cursed. They'd been at the game for about an hour, both relentlessly and shamelessly cheating. This last throw, Oliver picked the worst moment to press a soft lingering kiss to the crook of her neck. She turned a glare to him and he just rolled a hand for her to reveal her secret.

"Go ahead Twinkie. I want to see if this secret tops you breaking my great grandmother's vase and letting me take the blame." Oliver shook his head. He was grounded for a month because of that stupid vase. "Let me guess, you're the one who took a bite out of my parent's wedding cake they saved and blamed me for."

"That wasn't me, but I know who did it." Katie said laughing, and given that it could only be one other person he just laughed as well.

"I knew it was Thea!" he said turning back to Katie. "Oh, I am so not letting her live this down." he folded his arms and waited.

"Fine," Katie looked at him for a moment before covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe I'm going to tell you this." she laughed before dropping her hands and taking a deep breath. "I have a list."

Oliver looked over to her with a quirk brow. "What kind of list?" Katie bit the corner of her lip and Oliver narrowed his eyes. "Rules are rules Twinkie, out with it."

"Ok, so I have this unwritten list, in my head of...places I would like for us to have sex." she said before once again covering her face with her hands. Oliver didn't say anything so she peeked a glance over to him through her fingers to see his eyes still lingering on her. "Say something." he didn't say anything as he took the darts from her hand and sat them on a table before pulling out a chair for her to sit. Katie just laughed as she walked over to sit, and Oliver took the seat across from her. "So the game is over that quick?"

"Well the game has become less interesting." Oliver replied with a smile. "Tell me what's on this list?" Katie laughed with a shake of her head.

"Absolutely not."

"Hey, how am I going to help you cross some of these places off your list if I don't know what they are?" Oliver asked and Katie just smiled as she sat back in her chair. "How about you say one that's on your list, and I'll say one that's on mine."

"Oh you have a list?" Katie asked and Oliver smiled as he sat back in his chair as well. "Your list probably only consists of a child free home." Katie laughed and Oliver just shrugged. "Fine." she looked over to him and shook her head not believing she was going to do this. "So this one probably isn't even possible anymore, but do you remember your black mustang you had in high school?" Oliver smiled with a nod. "Back seat. Up at Bright's Point." she laughed. "That one's been on the list for a while. I just have to not think about all the other girls you brought through there in that backseat."

"So what you're saying is I need to buy a Mustang?" he asked and Katie just shook her head. "Because I will."

"I don't doubt it, now your turn. What's on your list?" Katie asked and Oliver looked at her for a moment.

"City Hall, my office, on top of the desk." he said without the slightest hesitation and Katie quirked a brow. "What?"

"That one's on my list as well. But I also know how the scenario would play out."

Oliver cleared his throat and slightly leaned forward. "I'd like to hear this scenario. Just speak slowly and in great detail." that made Katie laugh.

"Sorry, but some secrets have to remain secret. When it happens I don't want you to have the slightest clue."

"When it happens?" Oliver asked, and Katie could see that dark glint in his eyes. She simply mimed zipping her lips. "Can I at least get a hint on when this is happening because I will cancel every meeting-" Katie laughed and Oliver couldn't stop his own laughter. "Actually, I'll send all of City Hall home for the day." Oliver reached over and took her hand. "Thanks," he looked back over to her. "I really did need this." he dropped his head.

"You're thinking about the Vigilante?" she asked and he looked up to her and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I know this is supposed to be just about us and it should, I just-" Oliver shook his head. "Can't stop thinking that nothing I've done, nothing we've done had made a difference." he looked over to her. "How can guys like this even think to do something like this, if what we we're doing, what we're supposed to be doing is preventing this. Makes me question if we've been coming at this the right way."

Katie looked at him for a moment before standing to her feet and walking around to slide into Oliver's lap.

"Change Oliver, it doesn't happen overnight, and the type of change we want, it's not going to happen in a couple of years. Whether you see it or not you have changed something for the better. We all have. Liver you knew this city wasn't perfect, you knew there were dark spots you needed to clean up." she placed a hand on his cheek. "You know what the right way is. If it happens tomorrow, or if it happens years from now. You'll get the job done, and you'll know you did it the right way and so will this city." she placed a kiss to his lips. "You're doing a good job, whether you see it or not, so stop beating yourself up."

"I forgot that's your job." Oliver said bringing his arms around her, only for her to swat his arm and slide out of his lap back over to her chair. Oliver let out a frustrated sigh as he turned back to the woman. "You know I think you enjoy hitting me." Katie laughed as she raised her fists. "Can we please go home now?"

"C'mon Liver, the anticipation is just as important." Katie said seeing the impatience in the man's eyes. She sat back in her chair. "Hot air balloon." Oliver quirked a brow.

"Seriously?" he asked and she gave a nod. "Are there even any hot air balloons in Star City?" Katie shrugged and Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"You're looking it up?" she asked looking over to his phone. "Liver-" she laughed. "Your turn." Oliver put down his phone and looked over to the woman, holding her gaze.

"How about the alley behind Earl's?" he asked and the woman had to turn away from that look. She turned back to him, and from the look in her eyes, Oliver was pretty sure they would be crossing that one off his list. She pushed her chair back and stood to her feet and Oliver jumped to his feet, moving around to her. He'd only brought his arms around her when they heard the sound of his phone vibrating on the table.

Neither moved, and Katie looked up to meet his eyes before leaning forward, and Oliver didn't hesitate to meet her lips with his. The kiss became heated, but slow as they tried to make the moment last as long as possible. After a while, neither heard the phone ringing. Oliver lifted Katie to a nearby table, and the moment his hand went to the tie of her dress, she quickly grabbed his hand. He pulled back, breathless, dropping his head against hers, and suddenly the sound of the phone filtered back in.

"I don't want to answer it." he said lifting his eyes to hers. "I just want to be here, in this weird Elvis bar with my wife."

"I know. Me too." she said before sliding off of the table and walking over to answer Oliver's phone. "Oliver's phone." she looked over to Oliver who sighed as he turned to her.

"Hey, it's me." John said. "I'm guessing I'm not calling at the best moment, so you had to answer the phone because he wasn't going to."

"Yep." Katie said still looking over to Oliver. "I'm going to put you on speaker John." Katie pulled the phone from her ear.

"Well we've been thinking about this, and we realized there was no way we were going to find the Vigilante." John said. "Then we thought about what Ari said. About this guy being fixated on Dunn and wanting to stop him."

"I thought we nixed the use Dunn as bait plan." Oliver said, his eyes still on Katie.

"Right, but what if we made him believe he had another shot at him?" John said. "How do you feel about us robbing a bank?"

It only made sense that their date would end after finding out that the team's idea for catching the Vigilante was a bank robbery. They quickly headed back over to the bunker, where they now silently rode the elevator. Oliver looked over to Katie who tightened his jacket around her. The mood had totally changed since that call, and she hadn't said much.

"You know you never let me finish my promise." Oliver said breaking the silence and Katie looked over to him. She opened her mouth to respond, only for the doors to slide open and for everyone to stop and turn to them.

"Later." she said before stepping from the elevator. Oliver let out a sigh before following after her when suddenly she stopped and turned to him. "Blacked out conference room in the middle of the bunker." she gave him a wink and he couldn't help but smile as she turned. "Have fun robbing your bank!"

"You're not helping?" Curtis asked the woman as she passed.

"I won the designated driver coin toss, so I'm like slightly intoxicated right now, but Oliver lost, so you guys should be fine." she just gave a wave before heading over to the conference room and shutting the door behind her.

"Blacked out conference room in the middle of the bunker?" Felicity asked turning to Oliver who looked over to her. "Do I want to know what that's about?"

"I don't think so." Oliver said before turning to the others. "What do we have?"

The plan seemed too simple, but they knew robbing a bank, even if it was fake, wouldn't be that easy. The team was packing the supplies in the van when Oliver came out, now changed into his gear to find Ari sitting at one of the computers.

"You should go, I think everything's all packed up." Ari said looking over to him before turning back to the computer. Oliver looked at the girl for a moment before walking over and taking a seat beside her. She turned to him with a quirked brow. "What are you doing?"

"Ari, do you know what makes you different?" Oliver asked. "What has me completely stumped when I think about how I can teach you?" he looked at her for a moment and let out a sigh. "It's the fact that your solution to the big problem of the world is different." Ari looked confused. "Ari you know my story, you know the things that's happened to me, the darkness I've fallen into, so when it comes to doing this-being the guy under the hood who helps this city, everything was pretty cut and dry." Oliver glanced around the bunker before turning back to the girl. "I find the bad guys, beat them up, hand them to the police and the city has one less bad guy to worry about." Ari turned away. "That was my measure for success. Then you come in and turn my world on his axis. Because instead of just beating the bad guys up, you want to help them, rehabilitate them, make them better people." Ari looked over to him. "Ari there's a lot I can teach you, a lot I want to teach you, but I never want any of those lessons or the things we do here to take what you already have away."

"That's why you benched me?" Ari asked. "You know BM you're giving yourself way to much credit. That was my first lesson right?" Oliver quirked a brow. "The candle. I have know what can be done, and what should be done. I can be on this team and I can follow orders, but I also think there may be different approaches."

Oliver smiled. "Then why are you still sitting here and not out there with the others?" Ari looked at him for a moment before jumping to her feet and rushing out to meet up with the rest of the team. Oliver let out a heavy sigh before standing to his feet and heading out as well, only stopping at the wolf whistle from behind him. He turned to see Katie standing at the door of the conference room, arms folded over her chest as she leans against the door frame.

"You're really mastering the dad talks." she said and he smiled over to her. She nudged her head. "You have to go."

"I have to go." he said not moving a muscle. He allowed himself a moment longer to just stare at her before he turned and headed off with the others. Katie watched him as he left, letting her head fall against the frame as she found herself all alone. This is definitely not how she expected to spend her night. She just shook her head when she heard the sound of her cell phone ringing. She went over to her purse, and pulled out her phone to see an unexpected number.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." she said as she turned to take a seat. "I have a feeling this isn't a social call Christian."

"I kind of wish it was." Christian said and there was a tone to his voice that made her nervous. "There's something I need to tell you."

Robbing the Star City Trust was seeming way too easy. John, Felicity, Rene, and Rory had already knocked out the night guard and emptied the money from all the safe's they could access. Evelyn and Curtis were on look out, outside the bank while Rory and Rene were doing one final sweep of the branch.

"This is easy." Rene said over to Rory. "Maybe we're in the wrong line of work." they'd only walked around the counter coming to stop the moment they see their Vigilante friend standing there holding a gun to Curtis's head.

"You just had to say it was easy." Rory said as the looked over to Curtis who looked beat up as blood stained his face.

"Call your boss." The Vigilante ordered grasping Curtis a little tighter to show them they should do as they're told. "We need to have a chat."

"Don't listen to him!" Curtis yell, but the outburst got him a hard smack to the back of the head with Vigilante's gun, knocking him to the floor.

"Shut up!" he said before looking back over to Rene and Rory. "Call him. Do it now."

Suddenly The Green Arrow comes from the back of the bank, making his presence known as he hops over the counter.

"They don't have to. I'm right here." he grasped his bow as he keeps his eyes to the man with the gun.

"Tell your friends to beat it. This is between us. " the Vigilante points his gun down to Curtis. "Do it, or I'll waste him and then you."

With a clenched jaw, Oliver whispers over to Rene, and Rory, "Go. I've got this." the pair hesitates for a moment before they're running to the back where they find Felicity and John looking down to the security video of the Vigilante and Oliver.

"We have to move!" Rene says pulling off his mask.

"There was a girl outside." Oliver says and they all look down to the monitor.

"She's still breathing." The Vigilante replies. "She'll wake up with a headache, though."

"What do you want?"

"To operate without interference." The Vigilante replies and Oliver shakes his head.

"So you can keep killing people? Like the people at the motel?"

"Collateral damage. You don't seem to know that this is a war. Maybe that's why you're losing."

"We gotta move," Rene said once again.

"Well we can't just leave him in there with this nut job." Felicity said her eyes still on the monitor.

"The guy's got a gun right to Curtis' head, Blondie." Rene said and Felicity glared over to him.

"There's no way we can be faster than bullet." Rory added before turning back to the monitor. "Plus I don't think he's going to be alone in there." they turned to him before turning back to the screen.

"They got this." John said placing a hand on Felicity's shoulder. "Rene's right, we have to go."

Oliver watched the man closely, but also casting a glance to Curtis who wasn't looking too good.

"You're not getting the job done because you don't take it seriously enough maybe because you haven't lost anyone." the Vigilante said and Oliver clenched his jaw at such an accusation. "You don't have a full understanding of what's out there."

"Oh, I've lost people, almost more than I can bear." every face, every person he'd lost seemed flash in his mind and he grasped his bow tighter. He couldn't get lost in the sadness and the pain. Not this moment.

"Then it hasn't been more than you can bear. Maybe you need a push!" Oliver was tired of listening to the rant, and without a second thought grabbed an arrow, and shot it it, knocking the gun from the Vigilante's hand before sending another that only struck his kevlar. He didn't pause before running to tackle the man.

Curtis was barely counsious when he felt the hand on his shoulder. He lifted his eyes to see Fire Light above him, placing a finger to her lips as she grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet while the Vigilante and the Green Arrow were distracted with each other in a fight. She pulled him into one of the offices.

"How you doing, Mr. Terrific?" She asked once they were safely in the office.

"I've been better." he replied looking over to the girl before they both jumped at the sound of gunfire.

"I should probably-" Ari stood to her feet before looking back down to Curtis. "I'll be back."

The Vigilante was currently firing off shots from his machine gun behind the counter where the Green Arrow was taking cover. He barely had time to act when there was a tap on his shoulder before another one of those masked annoyances appears in front of him and kicks his gun from his hand. It took only a second to realize it was the girl from before, only this time she wasn't talking as much. She sent a kick to his chest, and then another, before kicking him close enough to the support pillar.

"Now!" she called and without hesitation Oliver shot another arrow, this one bola arrows that wrapped around the man, securing him to the pillar.

"You're right." The Green Arrow said walking over to stand beside Fire Light. "This is a war, but I'm gonna fight it the right way because I am all this city has." the Vigilante didn't say anything.

"You know it's not too late." Fire Light said taking a slight step forward. "Even after all of this, everything you've done, there is still hope for you to come out the other end of this. We can help you." she took another step forward, reaching up to his mask. The moment she touched it, a flash bomb went off, sending her and Oliver flying back. Oliver sat up with a groan, looking up to see the Vigilante gone. He looked over to see Ari sitting up as well, her eyes on the pillar.

"Hey-" Oliver says and she shakes her head. "Ari-"

"It's Fire Light." she groans jumping to her feet. "I'm going to grab Curtis so we can get out of here."

That evening, back at the bunker Oliver rolled his sore muscles after getting back from dropping Dunn off to the police station and changing out of his gear. Curtis and Evelyn were being checked out by Katie, Rory and Rene back there as well. He found Felicity and John standing off to the side. When he appeared beside them he saw what held their attention. It was Ari currently throwing punch after punch to the combat dummy.

"How long as she been over there?" Oliver asked.

"Since we came back." John said and Oliver nodded before walking over.

Ari didn't even look at him when he walked over. She just kept punching, needing to release the pent up frustration.

"I don't want to talk about it." she said before throwing around house kick and knocking the dummy over. She let out a huff, before going to pick it up, only for Oliver to grab her arm, but she pushed him away. "I said I don't want to talk about it." she shook her head as she reached down to pick up the dummy. "You knew it wouldn't work." she glanced over to him. "You knew it was stupid because bad guys don't change. There's no getting through to them. You should just say it. I'm an idiot, naive, a failure, and—"

"You're not any of those things." Oliver said as Ari began punching the dummy again. He let out a huff before walking over and pushing the dummy, knocking it over forcing her to look at him. "You're not an idiot, or naive or failure. I don't want you to take from all of this that how you want to help doesn't work."

"Well obviously it doesn't." she said before she peeled off her grappling gloves and she turned to walk away.

"So what, you just give up?" he asked and she stopped and turned to him. "Ari, this guy and the fact that him and people like Dunn being out there-" he shook his head. "Made me question what I've been doing all these years, what kind of difference I've really made and the fact that even though I don't see it, doesn't mean something hasn't changed. Ari this was one guy, one guy who seems to have fallen down this rabbit hole that is this messed up mission he has. Can he be helped, I don't know. Does he deserve the opportunity to be helped, after what he's done, I'd probably say no." Ari turned away.

"Everyone deserves the opportunity to be helped." she muttered, still not looking at him. He smiled because she still wowed him. Still said things that made him admire her. She turned back to him and let out a heavy sigh. "My mom knew what my dad was doing. She knew about the embezzlement and the foreign accounts." Ari slid a hand across her face. "She knew he'd gotten tangled up with bad people like Isabel Rochev and Slade Wilson." she looked back over to Oliver and dropped her shoulders as Oliver walked over. "He never actually told her, he didn't want to make her an accessory, but she knew. She could've stopped him. She could've talked to him, actually got through to him and told him that he was being stupid, and that if he didn't stop he was going to end up in jail or dead, and yet she turned a blind eye. She pretended that everything was alright." Ari turned away when she felt tears prickling her eyes. Oliver brought his arms around her and she couldn't hold the tears any longer. "In my head, I keep telling my self that if she'd only done something, maybe everything wouldn't have turned out so badly."

"Maybe, maybe not. The truth is Ari, we can help steer people to the right direction, but in the end, it's their choice. There's only so much we can do." he pulled back and looked down to her. "I don't want you to ever blame yourself if they don't make the right decision. Jeremy and Heather made choices and it is not your responsibility to make up for them." he placed a kiss on top of her head. "Go, get changed. It's late and you should get some sleep. You're going to be going home with Felicity." Ari looked up to the man with a frown.

"I don't need a babysitter." she said pulling away from him. "I'm perfectly fine being at home by myself." Oliver looked at her for a minute.

"You're right, you don't need a babysitter." Oliver said and Ari looked over to him with a quirked brow.

"But you're still sending me to Felicity and Bruce's house?" Ari asked and Oliver just nodded. "I get the feeling I don't want to know, so I'm just going to walk away." she pulled away and went off to get changed.

Curtis was quiet as he sat quietly while Katie smoothed out the bandage on his cheek. The room was filled with the sound if Rene, Evelyn and Rory talking about what happened at the bank, even laughing about the possibility of changing careers. When Katie was finished, she turned to Curtis, noticing the faraway look in his eyes and she placed a hand on top of his.

"Hey," she whispered and he smiled and turned to her. "You alright?"

"Just thinking." he said looking over to the others. "Getting the crap beat out of you, makes you think."

"And what does it make you think about?" Katie asked.

"I really want to get better at this." Curtis said letting out a sigh. "But it doesn't seem like I am. I mean I've been beat up, stabbed,and I haven't even been in the field that long." Katie let out a sigh before hopping up on the table to sit beside Curtis. "It just all makes me think."

"Well then you have two choices." she said as she pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the trash before turning back to him. "You walk out of here and never come back and you live a nice quiet life where you don't have to worry about having to fall asleep with an ice pack on your face."

"Option two?"

"Well you learn, every hit, every kick is a lesson on what to do the next time." she said giving his arm a nudge. "Whether you know it or not Curtis, you belong here. We're all knocked down, some harder than others, but then we get back up and we kick ass."

"You know it hasn't gone unnoticed that the Guardian's suit hasn't left that display case in months." Curtis said and Katie let out a sigh.

"Well some of us are still trying to figure out how to get back up." Katie says looking up as Oliver comes in. He glances around before turning to Katie.

"So how's everyone doing?"

Katie points to Evelyn, "Bump to the head, ice pack, aspirin, rest." she points to Rene. "I re-bandaged his arm," she turned to Curtis. "And this hero here is going to be fine."

"Well good, you guys should head home, get some rest." Oliver said.

"Wait, so there was no luck with figuring out where he went?" Evelyn asked and Oliver shook his head.

"No, but he'll be back and when he does, we get him. Guys it's late, go home, get some rest." Oliver said before watching as they all filtered out of the area. Once they were gone, he turned to Katie who looked over to him from her spot on top of the exam table. He walked over as she hopped from the table.

"I guess you're my last patient of the day." she said nudging toward the table.

"I'm fine." Oliver said watching as Katie stopped and turned to him with a quirked brow. "Twinkie, really I'm-" she crossed her arms over her chest and he let out a huff before walking over and taking a seat on the exam table. "Happy?"

She just shook her head as she walked over to stand in front of him. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and he just let out a sigh as he looked into her eyes.

"You changed out of the dress." he said. He noticed earlier when he arrived and seen that she'd changed into a t-shirt and jeans. She just nudged his head to the side forcing him to look away as she continued her examination.

"Yeah well, I got caffeinated, sobered up and saw my self in a mirror and realized how ridiculous I looked." she said and he turned back to her eyes. She just reached behind her, grabbing her flashlight before bringing it to shine into his eyes, but he moved it away and she just let out a sigh.

"I didn't think you looked ridiculous." Oliver said, his hand sliding up her arm, to snake around her waist, but she pulled away and walked around the table where she grabbed his arms and lifted them up. She let her fingers move across his arms and his back, searching for bruising that needed immediate attention, but she didn't see anything that wouldn't be healed in a couple of days. She walked around to stand in front of him once again before hopping up on the table to sit beside him, and dropping her head to his shoulder. He brought his arm around her and placed a kiss to her head. "You didn't look ridiculous. I'm actually disappointed you changed." Katie felt his hand as it slid to the bottom of her shirt, and slipped underneath to touch the skin of her hip. "I spent most of our date imagining the moment I would get the chance to grab that tie of that dress and tearing it open." his fingers dipped slightly below the waistline of her pants, and she caught his hand to stop him.

"I should clean up." she says before sliding from the table. She was still upset.

"I'm sorry Twinkie." Oliver stood from the table, and she stopped and glanced over to him.

"I know." she says turning back as she began straightening the first aid station and putting everything back into the cabinet. She let out a sigh, stopping and turning back to him as she leaned back against the counter. "You know a small part of me felt selfish today. I knew this Vigilante was out there, I knew he was killing people and I knew he needed to be stopped." she looked over to Oliver. "You needed to focus on catching the bad guy and I knew that." she shook her head. "We've just been all over the place lately and I didn't realize how quickly a day could go by until I realized how much time we actually spend together. I mean without the drama and the crisis or the fear that I'm in danger. " Oliver walked over and brought his arms around her. "So I became selfish." she smiled slightly. "I wore the perfume that makes you go crazy, and I flirted and I unintentionally, but really intentionally touched you." she slid a hand across his chest. "Because it was fun and I just wanted to step out of our reality for a little bit." she looked up to his eyes. "I had the feeling you did too." she let out a sigh. "But you can only step out of reality for so long before it pulls you back in...and it sucks when that happens." she turned around and continued putting things away, and Oliver just brought his arms around her, and placed a kiss to the crook of her neck.

"I'm going to make that promise now." he whispered. "I-" she spun around in his arms and placed a hand over his mouth.

"Liver, don't, just-" she removed her hand and placed it on his cheek. He smiled as he placed a hand on her cheek.

"I promise that one day I am going to hang up the hood. I will get to a point where I can let this go, and when that happens, we will have a new reality. One that will not be interrupted for anything." Oliver held her gaze, hoping she saw the truth in his eyes.

"I'm not selfish enough to ask you to do that." she said and Oliver just leaned in and brought his lips to hers.

"No, but I am." he whisper.

"Well then I am going to hold you to this promise." she replied as his lips dropped to hers once again, but he stopped. "What?"

"You should put the dress back on." Oliver said and Katie laughed, but he wasn't. "I'm serious." she looked over to him with a furrowed brow because she realized he was being serious. "Go, put it on. It's my turn to be spontaneous."

Katie found herself once again staring in the mirror after putting that dress back on. She combed her fingers through her hair before stopping and just looking at her reflection At the moment the world was a mess, with Prometheus, and her family's company, and then there was Christian's call that just tilted her world a bit. Right now she was going to forget it all and enjoy whatever spontaneous evening her husband had planned for them.

Oliver found himself pacing outside of the room Katie had disappeared in to change. He found himself, anxious, but also excited. He stopped walking when that door finally opened and she finally stepped out. Oliver had no idea why seeing her in that red dress, that same red dress he'd seen her wear only hours ago still just took his breath away. He knew he was standing there with a stupid smile on his face as he unbashfully ogled her.

"Definitely not ridiculous." he sighed before looking up to meet her eyes as she walked over to him.

"What's with the look?" she said and he chuckled. "You have a look and I know that look." his arm snaked around her with that piercing gaze that always made her knees weak. "You keep that look to yourself, or we might not make it out of this bunker." he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, before pulling away and spinning her around. "What-" suddenly he brought one of his ties around her eyes. She laughed as she reached behind her to grab him. "So not fair." she laughed as he placed another kiss to her neck. His hands wrapped around her waist, and then slid down her thigh. "So is the plan not to leave the bunker, because it's really starting to seem like it." suddenly he pulled away and she didn't feel his presence. "Liver, where-" she soon feels something slide over her shoulders. "A jacket? We are leaving the bunker?" he still doesn't say anything as he helps her slip her arms through the jacket. Once the jacket is on, she turns her blindfolded eyes to him. "There a reason you're not saying anything?" no answer, but his lips capture hers once again before he suddenly scoops her up in his arms and begins carrying her toward the back entrance of the bunker.

As Katie sits in the car, she begins to feel anxious. She's still blindfolded and Oliver still isn't saying anything. She feels his hand touching some part of her throughout the drive. Her arm, hand, or her thigh, each touch having one very intentional purpose.

"Where ever you're taking me, can we get there like soon, because I don't know how much longer I take this." Katie said as his hand on her thigh seemed to slip under her skirt, but she grabbed his hand. "And you're not helping at all." she heard him laugh, but soon felt the car slow to a stop. "Are we here?" still not a word and she let out a frustrated growl as she heard him turn off the car and then get out. "Liver-" the passenger door opened, and she felt his arm wrap around her to help her out of the car. They walked for a bit, Katie holding on to Oliver's arm as they walked on grass. "So either we're having sex in the woods or you've brought me here to kill me." his arm wrapped around her stopping her, before the blindfold is finally pulled from her eyes.

Katie's eyes go wide as she finally sees where Oliver has brought her.

"You brought me to Bright's Point." she smiled as they stood off of the scenic overlook that seemed like the perfect place to see the entire city. This time of night, Star City and all it's lights looked like stars below them. It was quite breathtaking.

"Yeah, well I figured..." his arm snaked around her waist as he pressed a kiss to the spot right behind her ear and smiled at the soft moan that escaped her lips. "We should start crossing places off that list." she turned in his arms and looked up to the smile on his face. "And I know this isn't the Mustang, but I don't really think type of car matters." they both turned to the car. "You know the view is actually better from inside the car." Katie turned to him with a quirked brow. "The backseat actually. Want to check it out?"

"That feels like a line you've used multiple times." Katie said as she turned away to look back over to city lights. "Doesn't really make a girl feel special."

"Ok," Oliver said as he wrapped his arms around her and turned her to face him. "How about, get into the backseat of this car and take off your clothes." Typically she would make a fuss about him ordering her to do something and yet this time, as she stared into his eyes, that dark look sends a very intentional sensation to a particular part of her body and she simply holds his gaze before turning and heading to the backseat of the car, his hand around her already tugging her dress open.

This one time she'll follow his orders, and she'll do it with a smile.

---

Author's Note:

Ugh I needed some Twiver love and I'm not ashamed.

Review Replies:

Brad Phillips: Thank you! And yes we will be getting more hints as to who this villain that has been specifically targeting her. So the watch story...I'm still trying to figure out how to fit it in someway. I really do think it's a cool idea.

Panther-10: Hmm, that is a cool idea. Crisis is still a ways out so there's still some planning I have to do with that story line, but your idea seems really close to something I want to do. Thanks!

Adela: Oh yes, something is going to happen. Thanks for the review!

Thanks everyone for sticking around to see where this story goes! I appreciate every last one of you!

Sneak Peek

Katie went to sit on the bed as Oliver closed the door. He went about pulling off his clothes for a shower and Katie watched as he moved around to the closet.

"I have to tell you something." she suddenly said and Oliver stepped out of the closet his eyes on her. She looked over to him and let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked walking over to take a seat beside her on the bed.

"Ok, so you're going to be upset." she said and Oliver frowned slightly. "I got a call a couple of days ago from Christian." Oliver felt his heart race, not able to shake the feeling that something was wrong.