Chapter 9: Decisions

2 months 2 weeks and 6 days till deadline

Jess laughed at Sara as she changed her dress for a third time.

"It's not funny." Sara grumbled and Jess laughed a little harder.

Sara had been asked on a date by a colleague whom she had a thing for ever since she started working at Starling city general.

Jess forced herself to stop laughing and help up her hands in mock surrender.

"I'm sorry, it's just I have never seen you this worked up about anyone." Jess admitted.

Sara sighed.

"I know, it's just I really like Clay and I want this to go well." Sara confessed.

Jess smiled at her friend. Jess didn't know a lot about Dr Clayton West but if he made her friend this nervous then she knew he had to be something special. It had been a long time since Sara ever had someone special in her life and if she wanted to have a minor breakdown then Jess would sit and listen to all of her friend's worries. Sara deserved to be happy.

"And it will." Jess promised her friend and she really hoped it would be.

Sara shook her head as she put on the sliver dress she had worn on the bar crawl.

"Distract me." Sara pleaded.

"With what?" Jess questioned.

Sara looked over at her.

"Tommy." Sara suggested.

Jess sighed. Ever since she and Tommy had returned from there visit to Lance Sara had been dying to question her on their relationship.

"What about this one?" Sara asked looking down at her dress.

Sara looked incredible in the silver dress but it was a bit too much for a first date.

Jess shook her head.

"I know you said it wasn't what I thought but clearly it's something." Sara pointed out as she turned back to her wardrobe looking for something else to wear.

Jess sighed.

Sara was right. At first it was just about the list but the more time they spent together the harder it was to pretend that she didn't have feelings for Tommy.

"He's been helping me with something." Jess commented.

"So you said." Sara reminded of her over her shoulder.

"The more time I spend with Tommy the more I have to remind myself that Tommy is just a friend and that's all he can ever be." Jess admitted.

"Says who?" Sara questioned.

Sara turned to face her a black dress in her hand. With the right accessories, it would be the perfect dress for a first date.

"You know how Tommy is." Jess reminded her friend.

Jess picked a silver belt up from Sara's bed.

"Wear this with some silver heels." Jess suggested and Sara nodded.

She traded the silver dress for the black one.

"Maybe with everyone else but Tommy is different with you." Sara commented.

An excited feeling rose within her. Jess shook her head she could not get her hopes up. It was just because he only thought about her as a friend that he was different with her than any other girl.

"The thing is how do I know that my feelings for Tommy are not just because he has just been so good with helping me out." Jess argued.

Sara sighed as she put on the silver belt and slipped on her heels. She looked good.

"Look I don't know what Tommy's helping you with but maybe trying doing it by yourself and if the next time you see him you still have feeling for him then you'll know the truth." Sara suggested just as the doorbell rang.

It wasn't a bad idea.


Connor looked over at Katie. Tears streamed down her face. Ending their relationship was the right thing to do, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

"Did you ever love me?" Katie demanded to know.

Connor swallowed hard. He loved Katie but it had been a long time since he was in love with her.

"You know I did." Connor argued.

If Katie was really honest with herself he knew she felt the same. But Katie was stubborn and determined it was part of the reason he fell in love with her in the first place but now it was just making ending things ten times harder then it needed to be.

"Then why?" She asked.

"Because this isn't working for either of us anymore and you know it." Connor reminded her.

A sob escaped her mouth and Connor closed his eyes. He hated watching her cry.

"Please don't do this." She begged.

Connor opened his eyes. He had to leave and it had to be now. He took a step towards her. He gently cupped her face in his hands and whipped her tears with his thumbs.

"Thank you for letting me be a part of your life." Connor told her honestly.

She had been an important part of his life for years and he would never regret them.

Connor pressed a kissed to her forehead.

"This is what's best for both of us." Connor added.

Connor slowly let go before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Please don't go." Katie begged.

"I'll be at Tommy's." He told her before he left without looking back.

He had made his decision and now he would live with it.


Jess looked down at her mums list. She and Tommy had really crossed a lot off lately, but there were still a few things left.

1. Go skinny dipping

2. Get a tattoo

3. Bungee jump

8. Spend a weekend at the beach

9. Go camping

10. Gamble in Vegas

11. Ride a mechanical bull

14. Spend a night at the circus

15. Make love under the stars.

Jess knew she still needed Tommy's help for a lot of these things but Sara's idea wasn't a bad one.

Jess looked down at the list again. What could she do by herself? She could get the tattoo done by herself, before she could change her mind Jess hit the road. She pulled up outside the shop Tommy had been suggesting they go to a few hours later.

"Can I help you?" A tall skinny man asked as she entered the shop.

"I was hoping to get a tattoo." She told the man nervously.

The man smiled.

"Well you came to the right place." he told her.

Jess smiled back.

"You have any idea what you want?" He asked.

Jess shook her head. Part of her wondered about getting mum somewhere on her body but she felt it was too common. If he mum saw it she probably would have laughed at her for being so predictable.

"When you pick a tattoo it should be something meaningful." The man told her and Jess nodded.

She looked round the room. There were so many pictures of other peoples tattoos. God she wished Tommy was here and it wasn't just because he would have no problem in helping her choose what to have. She missed him.

Something green in the corner caught her eye and she wondered over to it. As she got closer she could see they were different Green Arrow tattoos.

Jess couldn't help but smile. To her he was the boy she grew up with but to everyone else he was the new hero of Starling City and he meant the world to so many people.

"You like these?" The tattoo man asked.

"They are amazing." Jess mumbled.

All the tattoos were different, some in bigger ways in others.

"The Green Arrow and his team have done so much for this city, I think it's nice that people want to honour that." The man told her and Jess couldn't help but nod in agreement.

It hit her then what she wanted. Her mum had been a part of Team Arrow too and she loved the whole team like a family.

"Do you think you could do an arrow and in the arrow could you make the word mum look like it's been inscribed onto the arrow itself?" Jess asked her mum would have loved it.

The tattoo man looked please.

"Definitely." He replied.

"Where do you want it?" He asked.

Jess thought for a moment. She wanted it a place that she could see it.

"Along my wrist?" she asked pointing to the area and the man nodded.

"Let's get started." He replied.

Jess sighed as she waited for the man to get everything ready. Her feelings for Tommy had nothing to do with the list and if she was honest with herself, she already knew it.


Connor knew he should be at work but as he downed another shot he couldn't bring himself to care. He had meant to go back to work after he left Katie but she had made him feel like the bad guy. Leaving was what was best for both of them. One day she would thank him for doing what she couldn't.

"Another please." Connor called to the barman.

Why was it when you wanted alcohol to make you forget like it did normally it never did?

The barman poured Connor another shot.

"Could you leave the bottle please?" Connor asked handing the barman more than enough money.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" The barman questioned.

Connor raised his eyebrow and the barman shrugged before walking off.

Connor poured himself another drink.

"It's a good job I cancelled all of your meetings this afternoon." A family voice called from behind him.

Connor turned in his chair just as Jenna walked over and took a seat on the bar stall next to him. Connor watched her movements.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"When you didn't return from your lunch with Katie I figured you must have made you decision and ended things." Jenna started.

"I figured you would be here and I wanted to check on you." she explained.

It was scary how well Jenna new him sometimes.

She picked up his drink and downed it in one.

"Err I hate tequila." Jenna complained.

Connor scoffed.

"Well get your drink." He argued.

Jenna shrugged before calling over the barman.

"You don't have to look after me you know." Connor reminded her.

"What can I get you?" The barman asked giving Jenna a look that made Connor frown. Jenna was not a piece of meat.

"I'll have a beer and he's paying." Jenna told the barman pointing towards Connor.

The barman laughed and nodded before getting her drink.

"So I'm paying for your drinks?" Connor clarified and Jenna nodded.

"I could be home catching up on my TV shows instead I'm here babysitting you." Jenna argued.

Connor instantly felt guilty. Jenna worked hard for him and she deserved a break once in a while.

"I'm fine by myself." Connor told her.

"You can go home for the day." He added.

Jenna looked sad at his words. She took a sip of beer and shook her head.

"I not here as your assistant Connor." Jenna told him.

Connor looked at her in surprise.

"I'm here as your friend and right now you need a friend." She added.

Connor smiled at her. She was right he did need a friend and he was glad it was her.


Tommy had just laid down in bed when his phone started ringing. Today had been a long day and his body ached from a bad fight with a would-be rapists. Maybe if Tommy hadn't of been so distracted with Lance's words in his head then the fight wouldn't have been so hard.

"Hello?" Tommy answered.

"Tommy its Jenna." Her familiar voice replied.

Tommy pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. It read Connors phone.

Tommy frowned. Connor hadn't been in the lair tonight but Tommy had assumed it was so his brother could attempt to fix things with Katie, so why was Jenna calling him on his brother's phone.

"What's wrong?" Tommy questioned.

"Connor broke up with Katie today." Jenna informed him.

Tommy sighed as everything fell into place. Connor probably went out drinking after he ended things with Katie and Jenna had probably spent her night making sure he was ok. It was how things usually worked.

"I think he was planning on staying with you and Andy." Jenna added.

"Probably." Tommy replied. Connor knew they would never turn him away.

Tommy pulled himself out of bed and got ready to go pick them up.

"The barman helped me get Connor into a taxi but he is too heavy to get out by myself. You think you could help me?" Jenna asked.

"Of course, I'll be right down." Tommy promised.

He chucked on some clothes and headed downstairs just as the cab pulled up.

Jenna got out first.

"Thank you." she said as she opened the door.

"Tommeee." Connor cheered.

"Hey buddy." Tommy greeted as he pulled his brother out of the car.

Tommy let his brother lean on him.

Jenna followed them to his apartment and thankfully helped Tommy put his brother into bed.

"Thank you for staying with him." Tommy said.

Jenna smiled.

"That's what friends are for." she replied and Tommy couldn't help but be grateful that his brother had a friend like Jenna.

"I should get going, the cabs waiting to take me home." Jenna said and Tommy nodded.

"I'll walk you back down." Tommy replied and Jenna smiled her thanks.

"You going to be ok getting home?" Tommy asked Jenna as they reached the cab, knowing if his brother was sober he would be insisting that Jenna got dropped of first so he knew she was safe.

"I'll be fine." Jenna promised.

"Text me when you get home." Tommy ordered as he closed the cab door.

Tommy headed back upstairs and pour a glass of water before going to check on Connor.


THE NEXT DAY

Sara tried to be quite as she shut the front door, it was still early and she didn't want to risk waking Jess.

"Well someone had a good time." Jess voice called from behind her.

Sara jumped in surprised and turned to face her friend. Jess was sitting at the breakfast bar working on her laptop.

Jess looked over at her and bit her lip to stop herself from saying something.

"Don't judge." Sara ordered.

Jess held up her hands in mock surrender and Sara caught sight of a bandage of her friends list.

"I'm just glad you had fun." Jess said laughter filled her voice.

Sara couldn't help but blush. Clay had been everything she imagined and so much more. Maybe she had rushed sleeping with him but life was short and she wanted to make the most of every moment. Plus they already had a second date planned.

"You seeing him again?" Jess asked and Sara nodded.

She made her way over to Jess and looked at her arm.

"What happened?" she asked her friend.

Jess sighed.

"I took your advice about Tommy." Jess told her.

"How did my advice about Tommy get you hurt?" Sara demanded, worried for her friend.

Jess shook her head.

"It's a tattoo." Jess informed her and Sara froze.

"You got a tattoo?" Sara asked in complete surprise.

Jess smiled and pulled something out of her bag. It was a black journal.

"I found this when I was moving out." Jess started.

"It was my mums. She wrote a list of things she wanted to do before she died but she never got to finish them." Jess continued as she handed Sara the journal.

"Tommy's been helping me finish the list." Jess explained.

Sara looked over the list and everything feel into place. Everything they had been doing lately had been about finishing the list. But in completely the list they realised they had feelings for each other.

"Last night I did one of the items by myself like you suggested." Jess told her.

Sara nodded still trying to get over the shock of everything Jess was telling her.

"And?" she asked.

"My feelings for Tommy are more than just about the list." Jess replied.

Sara smiled. Jess liked Tommy and Tommy liked Jess. Things were bound to get interesting.