Chapter 2: The plan.

The screeching of her alarm clock had Jess shooting up in bed. God she hated mornings.

Jess slammed her hand on the alarm to turn it off. Her head pounded from crying herself to sleep and all she really wanted to do was turn around and go back to sleep but she couldn't let Thea down like that. Jess managed Vendetta for Thea and while she like her job she wasn't sure she wanted to do it for the rest of her life.

Jess had never known what she wanted from life, while everyone was growing up getting careers Jess could never decide what she wanted. When they weren't guarding the streets Tommy and Andy worked for Diggle Security's, a security company what with the help of Oliver Layla and Dig started not long after Oliver won back Queen consolidated. Oliver was their first client. When Sara was seven she decided she wanted to be a doctor and she did just that. Connor worked at QC with his parents and everyone knew someday he would take over as CEO when Oliver was ready to step down. Everyone seemed to have their thing, everyone except her.

Jess wondered into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

She had been so young when her mum got ill that nearly ever memory of her mum was when her mum was in hospital. Jess had never known the playful breath of fresh-air that everyone said her mum was.

Jess showered quickly before throwing on her work clothes.

Knowing her mum had wanted to do so much but never got the chance to do them bothered Jess and not matter how hard she tried she just couldn't make herself forget.

Tears pricked Jess eyes and she blinked them away. She had cried enough last night for a lifetime and crying wouldn't change anything. But maybe completing the list herself might.

Jess hurried over to her mum's journal almost as if she was compelled to do so. There were 15 items left on the list. She could do them, she would do them. For her mum she would complete the list and she knew just the person to help her do it.


Tommy loved his day job almost as much as his night job but right now as he watch his dad kiss his mum he was really starting to reconsider accepting todays assignment.

Diggle Securities specialised in personal security and so Tommy tended to spend most of his day following the rich and famous guarding them with his life. Most days nothing happened which was good because it gave Tommy time to relax before he spent the night kicking the arses of criminals. But today his mum's normal bodyguard Jack had called in sick and Tommy was the only one not already on a job.

His mum had been so happy to see him and Tommy instantly felt guilty he needed to make more time to see his family other than just at Sunday dinner.

But after about an hour of sitting in the office his mum shared with his dad Tommy remembered why he tended to avoid being alone with them. His parents were still so in love in even after all these years and while he was happy for them he did not want to see it so frequently.

"Can we keep the public displays of affection to a time when your son isn't in the room?" Tommy asked, fake disgust in his voice.

His father laughed deep and happily as his mother blushed.

"Are we embarrassing you son?" his dad asked.

Tommy ignored his father.

"Don't mind him he is just jealous." A familiar voice called from the door way.

Everyone turned in that direction. His mum smiled brightly.

"Jess." she called happily getting up to hug her.

Jess hugged his mum back. But when she pulled away Tommy could see how tired and pale she looked. Something was off.

"Hey Jess." His dad added giving her his own welcome hug.

Jess hugged him back.

Tommy stood and made his way over to her as his parents made their way over to the sofa's.

Tommy hugged Jess lightly.

"You ok?" he asked her softly.

Jess looked over at his parents before smiling and looking back at him.

"Of course." she replied but Tommy didn't believe her.

Something was off.

Jess walked into the office and took a seat opposite his parents, Tommy followed and sat next to her.

"You not working today?" his dad asked her.

"I am, just taking a lunch break." She replied with a smile.

His dad nodded.

"So what can we do for you?" His mum asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Tommy for an hour?" she asked softly.

Tommy looked at his dad. He needed to go with Jess and find out what was wrong with her.

His dad seemed to get his message and nodded.

"Of course you can, I will be with Felicity all afternoon." His dad replied.

"Plus we have too much work to do so we won't be leaving the office for a good few hours yet." his mum added.

Tommy stood already gathering his things as Jess said her goodbyes.

"Thank you." Jess said to his dad as she hugged him goodbye.

Tommy kissed his mum's cheek as Jess made her way out.

"Thanks dad." Tommy said before hugging his dad.

His dad nodded.

"Just make sure she's ok." His dad ordered.

Tommy nodded and followed Jess out. At least he wasn't the only one who notice something wrong with his friend.

Jess drove them to big belly burger and after they order Jess took them to the back of the restaurant where it was quite.

"So what's going on?" Tommy asked after they got themselves settled.

She smiled at him sadly.

"You know me so well." She mumbled.

"Part of the job description of being your friend is knowing you better then you know yourself." He replied confidently.

Jess laughed and shook her head.

A couple of minutes later there food arrived.

"I found a box of things that belonged to my mum." Jess told him.

Tommy froze. Auntie Sin wasn't someone anyone talked about often especially not Jess.

"There was a box on my bed with my name of it." Jess started but she looked away.

It seemed hard for Jess to talk about.

"But the box was filled with some of her things, pictures of when she was sick, journals and then there was this." Jess added as she searched in her bag and pulled out a black journal.

Jess handed him the journal.

"She wrote a bucket list before she died of all this stuff she wanted to do before she left this world." Jess told him.

"25 things to do before I die." he read aloud.

"I think she liked adventure." Jess commented her face lit up with a big smile as if she was discovering something for the first time.

Jess had a beautiful smile.

Tommy carefully opened the journal.

"She had all these things that she wanted to do but she ran out of time." Jess explained her voice creaking at the last part.

Tommy looked up just as a tear slide down her cheek. He took her hand in his. He hated watching her cry.

Jess smiled at him sadly.

"My memories of my mum are hazy at best and the ones that are clear are all of her when she was sick." Jess started, she took a deep breath.

"Finding this list is like a new way of getting to know her; what she did for fun, what she wanted to do." she added.

Tommy nodded his head. He could never understand her grief, even just the thought of losing his mum nearly tour him apart so he couldn't imagine how bad it was for her, never really knowing the women who gave birth to you.

"I want to finish her list Tommy and I want to do it all before my 25th birthday." Jess told him.

Tommy eyes widened. Her birthday was just four months away and there were still 15 things left on the list to do.

"That doesn't leave you a lot of time." Tommy pointed out.

"If I don't give myself a deadline I'll keep putting things off." Jess argued.

"Ok." Tommy conceded, he took a deep breath and looked back at the list.

"You might have to do a couple of these things in one day." Tommy suggested.

Jess nodded.

"I know which is why I'm going to need your help." She replied.

Tommy nodded, she had to know he would do anything for her.

"I'll help anyway I can." Tommy told her.

Jess shook her head.

"No Tommy I mean I really need your help completing this list." she said, the desperation for him to understand in her voice confused him.

Tommy frowned.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

Jess sat back in seat and sighed.

"My life revolves around the club and my dad I have no idea how to even go about doing half of this stuff." Jess said pointing to her mums list.

"But you." Jess said pointing to him.

"You know how to live and I am almost positive you have the knowledge and the means to help me do all these things." She added.

Tommy could tell there was more to it than that but he let it go, she would tell him when she was ready.

Tommy looked down at the list, she was right he could make this happen. His brain was already thinking of places they could go to start crossing items off the list.

"Ok." Tommy said nodding.

Jess jumped from her seat and hurried across to hug him.

"Thank you." she breathed into his neck.

Tommy hugged her back tight, sometimes he forgot how small she was. It made him wanted to protect her.

"But you're on your own for the pole dancing classes." Tommy added as she pulled back.

Jess laughed.

"I was already thinking of asking Sara to come with me." She replied.

Tommy nodded, he was sure Sara would go with her if she asked.

"Who gave you the box?" Tommy wondered aloud as they went back to eating.

Jess shrugged.

"I have no idea but I'm glad they did." she replied.

If Jess was happy about the box so was he.

They finished their food and begun to leave.

"I have to talk Diggle into giving me some time off so we will have to start tomorrow." Tommy told her.

Jess shook her head.

"I don't want our parents finding out about the list especially my dad." Jess told him.

"Jess." Tommy said, he didn't like the thought of lying to their parents.

"I'm not asking you to lie to your parents Tommy I'm just asking you not to tell them, there is a difference." she argued, as if she could read his mind.

Tommy sighed.

"Why don't you want them to know?" he questioned.

Jess looked away.

"My dad broke after my mum died, I don't want to lose him again and I'm afraid all this will bring it up for him." Jess told him.

Tommy nodded, he would keep their parents out of it for now.

He sighed and then continued walking.

"Then I have no idea how I'm going to get my dad to teach you Russian." Tommy stated realising that he might have a problem if he couldn't tell his dad about the list.

Jess smiled.

"Leave that to me." she said before hugging him goodbye and heading back to work.

Tommy watched her leave. He still wasn't sure about any of this but if she was going to do it he would be by her side.


Roy Harper looked into his daughter's bedroom. No matter how long she was gone this would always be her room, just like the left side of his bed would always belong to Sin.

The way they fell in love may not have been normal but he did fall in love with her and he fell hard. From the moment he met Sin he was intrigued by her. She was this scrawny little thing who refused to be afraid of anything and over time they became friends, then best friends.

When he broke up with Thea she was there from him, when Sara died he was there for her. No matter what they had each other's backs. Then one night everything changed.

They had been celebrating Tommy's first birthday, and since it's wasn't very often that they got time off Roy wanted to make the most of it. He and Sin had continued the party afterwards heading to a club for nothing more than to have a good time. It felt good being around someone he never had to lie to.

Sin had looked so beautiful in the middle of the dance floor, her dark hair grown to her shoulders her eyes shined with excitement. He knew at the time it had probably been the alcohol but he had this overwhelming need to kiss her and since neither of them were attached Roy had done just that. He had been surprised when she kissed him back and then one thing led to another and the next morning he was waking up very naked next to his very naked best friend. It was not a mistake but they both agreed that the thought of losing each other was enough to have them agreeing to stay just friends. But a few weeks later and she told him she was pregnant, she had been so scared and so was he.

He had never known his father and his mother was an addict, the closet thing he had ever had to real parent was Oliver. His mentor the person who taught him right from wrong. He was terrified at the prospect of being a parent and so was Sin but getting rid of a life they created just seemed so wrong. Even though they weren't together they agreed to raise the baby together, 50/50 every decision made together. Over time they fell in love. Everything just felt so easy with Sin, in a way no other relationship ever had.

They finally got together about three months after Jess was born in a heated argument that had taken him completely by surprised. Their argument ended in a heated kiss that told him everything he ever wanted to know. She loved him just as much as he loved her and from that moment on there was nothing to separate them.

They had been trying for another baby when Sin got sick and his whole world fell apart. Instead of extending his family it felt like he was losing it. Sin was so lively and to see her so lifeless had been hard. Watching her die had torn him apart and he crumbled big time when she left his world. If it hadn't of been for Oliver Roy was scared to think of what would have happened to Jess. It had taken a while but he slowly got better.

For years after Sins death every time her name was mention Roy fell apart and slowly everyone stopped mentioning her, even Jess.

Roy shook his head he wished he could of handle it differently.

Jess had been such a lively child like her mother but after Sin died, it seemed she had no interest in anything. Roy thought she would grow out of it but if anything her uninterested in things just got worse. Jess had no life other than working at the club and looking after him. He had wanted so much more for Jess and he knew Sin would have wanted the same thing. He wanted Jess to live and if anyone could help her do that it would be Sin.

He had found Sins journals while looking for boxes to help Jess move. Roy thought they would have been painful to look at but they hadn't been. If anything they made him smile. They had reminded him of all the things he loved about Sin.

Roy wiped a hand though his hair.

Sin's journals would help Jess he was sure of it. They would make Jess see there was more to life than just getting by day by day and Jess would finally get to know the women who brought her into this world.

He wanted Jess to read the journals but he knew how careful Jess was around him every time Sin was mentioned. Putting them in the box with her name on had been a last minute decision.

But the box was gone which mean she had them and Roy just hoped Sins words would somehow makes their daughter live because she deserved to be happy.