Proposals
Hunter's first few weeks in school went pretty well and, each time he came back for the weekend, he couldn't stop talking about his new friends and his classes. He was already doing well in every one of his classes and his new guardians couldn't help but be very proud of him. His first grades were good as well, just like they had been told, he learned quickly and was a very bright student, not only in music but in all of the subjects he studied. This school seemed to be a perfect fit for him and he loved it.
Since Veronica and Oliver had the week to themselves, free to be Arrow and Karma without restraint, they tried to spend as much time as they could with Hunter on the weekend, unless a special crisis demanded their attention, of course. Quickly, they created a bond between them and the boy felt quickly comfortable enough calling them mom and dad instead of Oliver and Veronica. The two adults knew that they'd have to talk about adoption soon but Oliver waited until after he had proposed to Veronica. He had taken Hunter aside one day and asked him if it was something he'd like, to be a Queen, to be his adoptive son. Of course the boy jumped in joy and agreed, understanding that he'd have to wait for Oliver to propose to Veronica and that he'd have to keep the secret.
Once, Moira had to meet up with the mayor of Central city and so she used that opportunity to visit Hunter, who was surprised but also happy to spend the afternoon with his adoptive grandmother. She took him for ice cream and to the park before she took him back to the boarding school and headed back to Star city.
Lyla had given birth to her baby boy a couple of weeks ago and they had gone to visit them during the weekend, with Hunter, who was very happy to be able to meet the baby. He understood very well that John Diggle was more than a driver and bodyguard to Oliver and Veronica, he was a member of their family and so his son would be a part of his family too. It made the little boy very happy to see his new family growing so fast.
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That Friday afternoon, Veronica went to pick up Hunter with Laurel, because they wanted to pick up something in Central City together for Thea's birthday and so Oliver saw this as the perfect opportunity to go and pick up the ring he had ordered, a while back, for Veronica. A friend of his, Constantine, had given him the name of someone he knew that could make it perfectly, even though it would take time and now, Oliver had the ring he had drawn for the woman he loved. It had taken him a while to draw the perfect one and even longer to get it done because the man used special materials, known to be able to deflect some magic and to protect the wearer.
It was a three part ring he had drawn himself and decided on each single detail and material. One that would be Veronica's engagement ring, a second, smaller one, that would be Karma's engagement ring and the last one, the wedding band, that would tie the other two together. The ring was made of Gold and had several emerald jewels on it but it was also small enough that she'd be able to wear it comfortably under her Karma gloves. On the inside, he had engraved their names, the date of the first time they met and I love you, each on a different ring and they'd all come together once the ring was complete.
"It looks very pretty." Tommy complimented when he saw it.
"I know, and I'll be able to propose to her tomorrow night, it'll be perfect." Oliver replied.
"How so?" His best friend asked him.
"Hunter will be there, so will Lilly. Duncan's going on a mission and he asked Veronica to watch over Lilly for a few days. John and Lyla will also come over for dinner with Baby John Junior, so will you and Laurel. Thea's invited Roy... The only family members we'll be missing will be Raz and Nyssa, but they know it's happening and are fine with it." Oliver explained.
"What about Mac?"
"She can't make it, she has to go to Neptune for her parent's wedding anniversary or something like that but she doesn't mind missing this proposal as long as she can be there for the second one and the wedding." Oliver replied with a smile.
"Do you know when you'll ask her? I mean, before we eat or after?"
"During the dessert. I'm making it and the ring will be on top of her chocolate souffle. It's her favorite dessert, she loves it when I make it."
"I doubt she'll look at the dessert with that ring on top of it." Tommy smiled, amused.
"Oh, she'll eat it." Oliver smiled back, knowing the woman he loved very well.
She never said no to dessert, especially if he had cooked it himself. Especially if it was chocolate.
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"So Hunter, how was your week?" Laurel asked the boy as they drove back home.
"Great, I love this school, it's always great and Mom and dad call me every day, it's great. I can even call them during the day if I miss them or need advise. And for the first time I have a few friends!" Hunter replied with a smile, making Veronica smile too.
"That's great. Have you already met Lilly?" She asked him, knowing that the 11 years old girl would be waiting for them at Queen mansion.
"I only saw a picture but she seems nice." Hunter replied, eager to finally meet his sister/new mother's godchild.
"She is and I'm sure the two of you will get along well. Plus, Pony will be more than happy to play with the two of you." Veronica told him with a smile.
"Is dad cooking dinner tonight? He said it was going to be special." Hunter asked her.
"Well, a few people will be there and I know that he's making dessert. He told you it was going to be special?" Veronica replied.
"Yes, he told me so last night." He nodded.
"Really? Did he tell you why?" Veronica was curious now.
"He said it was a surprise, a good surprise." Hunter replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Then I guess we'll see what's so special about tonight's dinner then." Veronica said, trusting Oliver enough not to worry about a secret.
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As soon as they arrived, Hunter rushed to put his bag in his bedroom before he went outside to play with Pony and Oliver.
"Duncan called, Lyla will bring us Lilly. He was going to do it himself earlier this afternoon but he had to leave earlier than planned. Lyla will bring her over when she comes for dinner tonight with her bag for the next few days." Thea explained when they arrived.
"Why didn't he call me?" Veronica asked, her brows furred.
"I'm not sure but... Did he tell you what his mission was about?"
"No, I just know that he'll have a few Suicide Squad members with him. Why?" Veronica shook her head.
"I don't know... I know that I don't know Duncan that well, I might be wrong about this but his voice... It just seemed a bit... I don't know... Wrong, I guess. Like he was trying to sound okay when he was actually really worried or scared." Thea replied.
"Are you sure?"
"That's how I saw it. That, or he was sick." She nodded.
"I won't be able to reach him if he's already on mission, I'll ask Lyla about it when she arrives and see what happens when he comes back."
Veronica tried not to say 'if he comes back' but she knew that it was always a possibility. A few years earlier, back when Duncan started to work for Argus, the secret organisation had asked him to put his affairs in order and for him, that meant mainly deciding who would take care of his daughter if anything tragic was to happen to him. Back then, he had warned Veronica that he had designated her to look after Lilly shall anything happen to him. She knew that she'd get everything he now owned, no matter how things had evolved with his parents recently but she refused to think about it too much. She didn't feel ready to lose another friend. Especially not Duncan, her first love, her first heartbreak, her oldest friend alive, one of the last person she had to link her to Lilly Kane, to her childhood and to her innocence.
Veronica smiled when she saw Oliver and Tommy in the garden, playing with Hunter and Pony.
"They're cute, aren't they?" Laurel asked her.
She had already gone to the door to watch while Thea spoke with Veronica.
"Yes, they are. I can't believe how easily Oliver accepted Hunter. He already treats him like a son. Loves him like a son." Veronica whispered her reply.
"Because it was meant to be, just like the two of you." Thea stated naturally.
They watched for a few more minutes before Roy arrived and decided to join the men outside in their fun game.
Half an hour later, Moira came back from work and soon, John and Lyla arrived with Lilly and John Junior.
Veronica called Hunter back in the house and the boy, along with the young dog, arrived quickly to meet the young Lilly Kane, goddaughter of Veronica. They had over 4 years of age difference but it didn't stop the two of them from getting along, mainly because of Veronica and Pony. They rushed away to play and get to know each other while Veronica was free to ask Lyla questions about Duncan's mission.
Lyla quickly told her that she didn't know the specifics of this particular mission, she was still on maternity leave after all, but she knew that it was a serious one because they had put him at the head of the most dangerous and vicious members of the suicide squad.
"Try not to worry too much, Veronica. Duncan is a great team leader, he's learned a lot over the past few years and he's more than capable of completing his missions." Lyla tried to reassure her.
"I know, I just... Thea said that he sounded off on the phone and since he didn't try to call me, I figured that he was trying to hide something from me..." Veronica replied.
"He probably was trying not to worry you." Lyla replied.
"You're probably right." Veronica smiled back at her friend's wife and guided her to the living room, where the adults were assembled to have appetizers while JJ slept in his father's arms and Lilly and Hunter played with Pony.
After a while, they all went to the living room to eat dinner, all the while keeping their conversations alive and light. As they got closer to dessert, Oliver did his best to show how nervous he was. He knew that if Veronica noticed his nervousness, she'd start thinking about the possible reasons behind it and it could ruin his surprise, so he did his best to hide it and counted on his friends to keep her too busy to notice his nervousness as well.
When it was time for the maid to bring dessert, Oliver pretended he had to answer his phone and only came back once the maid entered with the tray full of souffle. While she gave each guest one, Oliver revealed that he already had one in his hand, one bigger then the others and he headed straight for Veronica who turned in her seat curiously. She could see that he was nervous and that everyone was watching expectantly and she understood why when she spotted the sparkly jewelry on top of her dessert, in a pretty case.
"Veronica, my love, you know that I cooked tonight's dessert. I made your favorite, hoping you'd find this a perfect moment, because you deserve everything to be perfect. I love you more than I'd ever thought I'd love anyone and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I know that we're already happy the way we are but I can't help but want more. I want you to be a Queen, I want you to be my queen. Veronica, will you marry me?" Oliver declared, presenting her with the chocolate delicacy while he kneeled in front of her.
"Just so you know, if you say no, you don't get the dessert." Thea joked, making everyone chuckled.
"I love you Oliver. You know that I don't believe in marriage, especially because of my previous job, but with you, it's all different. I love you so much... more than I thought possible. I... yes, I'd love to marry you." She replied, getting on her knees as well so she could kiss Oliver, who placed the plate on the table and took the ring to place it on her finger while everyone else clapped happily, waiting to be able to congratulate them.
As soon as the couple stood up, everyone came to congratulate them.
"I knew you'd be my real sister some day. I'm so glad you found me in that bar that night." Thea whispered in Veronica's ear as she hugged her tightly, making the blond blush.
"I know you were waiting for something like this to talk about officially adopting Hunter and giving him your name. I can have everything ready for you by the time you get married. You could do it all at once." Laurel told the couple as soon as she was able to hug and congratulate them both.
"Thank you Laurel. We'll tell you as soon as we have a date." Veronica nodded.
"Thank you for making sure I was here for this." Lilly whispered in Oliver's ear while she hugged him, followed by Hunter who was happy to know that they'd soon be a real family.
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"Are you okay, Laurel?" Tommy asked her when he spotted his girlfriend watching the couple from afar.
"Yes, of course. I'm very happy for them. But just so we're on the same page, I'm not ready for us to take this step yet." She replied with a smile.
"Good, because I don't think I am either." he smiled, slightly reassured.
"One day though, why not." Laurel added before she kissed Tommy and joined Thea and Moira.
A few minutes later, a yellow lightning sprang through the room and revealed Barry Allen.
"I got your text Oliver, figured I come and congratulate the two of you myself." Barry announced with a smile.
"You do know that you just revealed yourself in front of everyone,right?" Veronica asked him as she let him hug her.
"Well, they're your friends and you trust them. I'm sure the kids will keep the secret." He replied, looking at Lilly and Hunter who nodded their heads vigorously.
"Well, come and join the party Barry. They're plenty left to eat and drink." Oliver told his friend.
"Thanks, I can use the break. Between seeing Iris and her boyfriend happy together and fighting all the metahumans in Central City, I couldn't wait for an excuse to get out of town for a moment." Barry explained.
"What's the latest one?" Laurel asked him.
"We had so many crazy ones... A man who can turn himself into a deadly fog, a man who controls the weather, and now a Gorilla who can control people's minds." Barry replied.
"You make it seem like we're lucky." Moira smiled.
"But we have Arrow and Karma here and their team. Do you have a team too? Why are you alone?" Hunter asked Barry, reminding the Flash that he didn't know that his sister and Oliver were Karma and Arrow.
"I do have a team, who's in Star-labs and helps me but you're right, I'm alone on the streets against the criminals. It's okay though, I know Arrow and Karma will come and help me if I need help." Barry replied.
"Cool." Hunter and Lilly said and smiled.
.
The rest of the night was cheerful and they improvised a small party to celebrate the couple's engagement. Moira was happy for her family, for the way things had become lately.
"Do we have to make some sort of public announcement that we are engaged or do we let people find out on their own?" Veronica asked Oliver that night when they were alone in their bedroom.
"I guess we could do either. Usually there's some sort of public announcement. However I think it's too late to keep it secret. Thea's already twitted about it several times tonight. There's even a picture of your ring on the dessert, on your finger, a picture of us hugging and kissing..." Oliver replied.
"I guess that's done then. We don't need to make a big deal out of it, do we?"
"Of course not. It's not your style. Before the Island, it was the way I would have done it, so people would talk about me, but not anymore." Oliver replied honestly.
"But won't your mother want for us to put it in the newspaper? I mean, all of her friends do it this way."
"She's prefer it of course but if we decide not to do it, she'll accept it. I know you don't like to make a big deal out of things." Oliver reassured her.
"I don't, that's true but I guess I could accept a small article, for her sake."
"I love you." Was all Oliver replied, knowing that she was accepting this for his mother, because she loved his family as much as she loved him, as much as he loved her.
.
Duncan's mission had been intense and the few days he had been gone felt like a month instead of a week. When he arrived to pick-up his daughter at Veronica's, he learned that Oliver had proposed and that they were now engaged. Of course he was happy for her, for the both of them, though he couldn't help but think that, had things been different, it could have been him.
Once upon a time, he had dreamt of the way he'd propose to her, of their wedding day and of the life they'd have together. But then his sister had been killed and everything changed. There had been a few moments when he had been hopeful but life just came in the way with Meg's death, the need to protect little Lilly from her evil grandparents and simply life.
"Are you alright, dad?" Lilly asked her father in the car.
"Of course I am." he smiled.
"Will we be able to go to the wedding?"
"I think so. Even if I can't come, I'll make sure you do." Duncan assured her.
"Do you still love her?"
"I think I always will. There's something about your first love... You can never completely forget them, especially when they're as special as your aunt Veronica." He smiled at his daughter.
"But you won't tell her? You won't stop the wedding, will you?" Lilly asked him.
"No, I won't. Don't worry. I want her to be happy and this is what will make her happy. Oliver is good for her." Duncan assured his daughter.
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"Nyssa called. Sara's on her way. She's ready to tell her father that she's alive and she wants to do it now." Veronica informed Oliver after hanging up her phone at the office.
When they arrived that morning, a small party had awaited them, to congratulate them on their engagement. Thea's tweets had gone viral and in a few hours, everyone knew and was talking about it. So, the members of the board and the heads of departments had put up a small party for the, to show them that they were happy for the couple and that they cared.
"Finally! I hope he'll take it well."
"I don't think it's going to be easy, but he'll be happy to see her alive and won't be too angry at her because of this. I'm sure he'll understand her reasons behind her silence all this time." Oliver replied.
"He might be mad at you, too. You did tell him that she was dead." Veronica reminded him.
"I did and for a while I truly thought that she was. He doesn't need to know what happened to me on the Island, all he needs to know is that she found a way to survive. I trust that she won't tell him anything he doesn't need to know." Oliver replied.
"Laurel will have to pretend that she didn't know too if she doesn't want to face her father's anger."
"I know. They'll be fine." He smiled.
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A week after Sara had come by to tell her father the truth, a new brand of Vertigo started making its way in the streets and so, Arrow and Karma found their way in the streets, looking for the responsible one so that he could be stopped. They looked for the new count, located him and, since he tried to run away, they ran after him. They ended up catching him in a very public place, with several witnesses more than eager to take photos and film the two heroes in action.
"You know, this is perfect." Arrow declared with a chuckle as the cop took the new Count vertigo away.
"Perfect? What do you mean?" Karma asked him.
"I didn't plan on doing this this way but I've been looking for the perfect moment for some time now and considering that Count Vertigo is the first bad guy we stopped together, it's only fitting that I do this now, tonight, with the city we protect as witnesses." Arrow declared to the woman he loved.
"What do you mean?" She asked him with a smile before he kneeled in front of her and revealed a ring, surprising her.
"I love you, Karma, I don't see myself with anyone else in my life. Will you marry me?" he asked her and, not expecting this second proposal at all, Veronica couldn't help but smile and nod before she jumped in his arms.
They kissed and, aware that they were being filmed but not caring, he took her glove off and, hiding her hand from the crowd so they wouldn't see her other ring, he slipped this second engagement ring on her finger.
"You've been planning for this." Karma whispered.
"Guilty." he nodded.
They allowed people to take a few pictures and to congratulate them before they left, eager to celebrate together.
They had just gotten back to the lair when Mac jumped in their arms to congratulate them.
"Everyone already knows, it went viral. Everyone's tweeting about it with #vigilanteengagement. there are pictures and videos everywhere. I think this engagement is more popular than Oliver and Veronica's engagement." She informed them.
"Well, for once they talk about us for something that makes us happy, not someone we fought to stop." Veronica smiled.
"So, I guess you guys will have 2 weddings as well?" Diggle asked them as he put his jacket on to go home.
"Seems fitting." Veronica nodded with Oliver.
"I was thinking we could have Arrow and karma's wedding in Nanda Parbat, with all of our vigilante friends." Oliver suggested.
"I like this and it will make Raz happy since he can't act like my father at our official wedding." She agreed.
"You guys better get home, I'm sure Thea and Moira are waiting for you to congratulate you before they go to sleep." Mac told them and they nodded hurrying on their way home.
.
All in all, the weddings plans came together pretty simply. Karma and Arrow would get married in Nanda Parbat, with the League and their vigilante friends. Duncan would be able to come to this wedding. Oliver and Veronica's wedding would have to be more public, more official, with the press present.
They also decided to invite Barry's friend Iris to their vigilante wedding, with her promise not to reveal anyone's secret identity in exchange for the exclusive rights to report their wedding and the wonderful chance to meet several vigilantes. She had discovered Barry's Flash identity recently and they figured that this wedding would help her forget her pain at the loss of her fiancé, who had killed himself to save everyone from Reverse Flash.
At Karma and Arrow's wedding, Nyssa would be Karma's maid of honor while Flash would be Arrow's. At Oliver and Veronica's wedding, Thea, Mac and Laurel would be brides maids and Tommy, Roy and Diggle would be Oliver's best men. Thea had taken upon herself to organize her brother's public wedding while Nyssa and Sara decided to organise the one that would be held in Nanda Parbat.
Oliver had invited his friends from the Bratva to his official wedding and Constantine to the one in Nanda Parbat.
Veronica decided to invite Snart and his sister to her Vigilante wedding, hoping that he'd make friends with other vigilantes and end up living to his potential, especially since he had also formed some sort of fragile friendship with the Flash.
"This is going to be perfect." She said to herself as she looked over the wedding plans with Thea.
"Lilly will be there for both weddings. Lyla will bring her for the first one and Duncan will join us to the plane that will take us to Nanda Parbat. Hunter will go back to school after the first wedding since he still doesn't know your other identities. Like everyone else, he'll think you're on your honeymoon. Mom and I will take care of him until you come back." Thea informed her.
"Good." She nodded.
"Have you decided who will walk you down the aisle?" Thea asked her future sister.
"No, not yet. There's still plenty of time for me to decide." Veronica shook her head.
Thea knew that this was hard for Veronica. Keith was dead and Raz wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle at her first wedding. The pain of Keith's death came back during this period and Thea did her best to show support and love.
I know that it's been a while, I'm sorry. Life has been hard lately. Anyway, here is a new chapter. Take your time reading it, the next one will be a while too.
Next chapter is 2 Weddings and 1 Honeymoon, the one after that will be Ghost of Dark, then it will be Go see the wizard followed by Back to Neptune High. After that? I have no idea, it might end up being the last chapter though.
Anyway, review, please?
Lorelei Candice Black
