Chapter 11: Jenna Holiday is remarkable

2 months 1 week and 5 days until deadline

Tommy stood up and looked around, their target was around somewhere. He could feel someone's eyes on him.

"Any sign?" Connor asked through the comms.

"Nothing. Ghost?" Tommy replied making sure to use code names in case he was right and someone is listening. The last thing they needed was targets knowing their true identities.

"Nothing. But Arrow be careful, he hasn't left the docks yet." Andy replied his voice just as calm as always.

This was the part he hated, not knowing what was going to happen.

"What's the plan?" Connor questioned.

"We can't just leave this guy on the streets." Andy pointed out.

Their target was someone they had been tracking for weeks. His name was Parker Check and he had been kidnapping girls from all over the Glades and selling off to the highest bidder. Tommy hated to admit but Check was good. But they were better, they would always be better, they had to be.

"I'll do a sweep." Tommy told them.

Tommy kept his footsteps light as he began wondering round.

"Keep on your toes." Andy ordered the same time Connor said,

"Be careful."

Tommy listened carefully as he made his way round the docks. There were so many other places he wished he could be instead of looking for this low life.

All thoughts were whipped from Tommy's mind as someone tackled him from behind catching him completely off guard.

"Tommy." Andy yelled in his ear.

Tommy fell to the floor with a thud his opponent following him down. Tommy had to use all his strength to turn over under his opponent so he could fight back.

Tommy punched his opponent in the gut and his opponent fell backwards, Tommy used this time to get up.

Tommy had expect his opponent to be Check but it wasn't.

"It's not Check." Tommy breathed just before he was forced into arm to arm combat.

"Running facial recognition." Connor told them.

Whoever this man was he was good. Tommy struggled to keep the upper hand.

"Unsubs name is Dominic Check he is Parker Check's younger brother." Connor informed them.

Tommy swung his fist into Dominic chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Tommy understood now. Dominic was a distraction he was going to do whatever it took to keep Tommy occupied so his brother could get away.

"Dominic is a distraction." Tommy yelled.

Tommy grabbed Dominic by the collar.

"Where is he?" Tommy demanded.

He punched Dominic again and Dominic fell to the floor. Tommy followed him down restraining him as they went.

"Where is he?" Tommy repeated.

Dominic laughed.

"Far from here." Dominic replied.

Tommy punched Dominic in frustration knocking him out.

"Police are on their way." Connor told them.

"Ghost tell me you found Check." Tommy ordered.

"His gone." Andy told him regretfully.

"Shit." Tommy yelled.


Parker Check was still free and Tommy had no doubt he would be back in busy in no time.

Parker Check sipped his beer as he waited for his train to arrive. He felt bad for leaving his brother but Dominic understood. He did what needed to be done for the good of the family.

The Arrow and his team of wannabe hero's had destroyed his livelihood. But nothing kept Parker Check down for long and once he had got himself sort and his family business up and running he would go back for Dominic. He would get Dominic and he would show the Arrow exactly why messing him a member of the Check family was always a stupid idea.

"Passengers for Central City your train is now boarding." The intercom system called out.

Parker got up and made his way to his platform. Give him a few weeks and he would be back and mark his words he would make the Arrow pay for his grave error of messing with him and his family.


Jess climbed the last steps to her apartment. She was looking forward to a nice hot bath before heading straight to bed.

"Hey." A deep voice called.

Jess jumped in surprise. She looked up. Tommy leant against the wall next to her front door. He had bruises on his face.

Jess gasped.

"Oh Tommy." She whispered.

She hurried over to him and cup his face. Someone had given him a hell of a beating.

"I'll call Sara." Jess said.

Jess reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Sara was working nights, but she would be here if they needed her to be.

Tommy grabbed her hand to stop her.

"I'm fine." Tommy argued.

Jess shook her head as she looked up at him again. He was not fine. His left eye was swollen and he had a cut on his right cheek. His lip was split and that was just what she could see. She hated to think about the damage she couldn't see.

"I'm fine." Tommy repeated.

Jess sighed and lead him into her apartment.

Tommy fell on to her sofa and grunted in what she knew had to be pain. Jess sighed. He could be really stubborn sometimes.

She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers before making her way over to him. Jess handed him a beer and sat down next to him.

"Thanks." Tommy mumbled.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

Tommy looked at her briefly before looking back down at his beer.

"We were chasing a bad guy and we thought we had him." Tommy started.

His finger filled with the beer label.

"But he used his own brother to get away." Tommy added in disgust.

Jess frowned. It sucked that a bad guy got away but it wasn't unheard off.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before." Jess reminded him.

"I know." he mumbled regretfully.

"Why is this time different?" Jess probed.

Tommy looked at her, his eyes held a look his didn't quite understand.

"Because of you." He told her.

Jess raised her eyes. She didn't understand.

"Check was taking girls like you and he was selling them to the highest bidder for god knows what and all I can think about is you being one of them girls." Tommy explain and Jess finally understood, he was afraid for her.

Jess moved quickly over to him and straddled him. She took his face in her hands.

"I'm right here." she told him.

Tommy's arms came round her waist and he crushed her to him. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in.

"But it could have just as easily been you." He replied, his voice laced with irrational fear.

Jess kissed him then. It was the only thing she could think of that would make him believe she was fine.

After a couple of seconds Tommy kissed her back. His arms tightening around her waist. Her hands travelled up his body and around his neck as she pressed herself into him.

Tommy growled when she came into contact with his chest. He gently nipped at her lip and when Jess gasped he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth.

Kissing Tommy Queen was like a drug she couldn't get enough of.

Tommy's hand traced the skin round her waist before gently moving up her body. Jess whole body felt like it was on fire and she wanted him right here, right now.

Jess could feel just how much he wanted her. She shifted on his lap and he hissed through his teeth his hand stopping just before it reached her breast.

He pulled away slowly and Jess groan in protest.

Tommy laughed as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Why did you stop?" she panted, breathless.

"Because this isn't a onetime thing Jess." He told her softly.

"I know but I want you." Jess whined. She knew that her relationship with Tommy was different than any other girl he had been with.

Tommy groaned and kissed her hard.

"And I really want you too." Tommy promised he gently pushed up into her and even through both their layers of clothes she could feel just how much he wanted her.

Heat pooled between her legs.

"But I want this to work, so I think we have to take this slowly." Tommy added.

Jess reluctantly nodded. She knew he was right.

She slide from his lap to reduce temptation for both of them.

"It's late." Tommy said standing up.

"I should probably get going." He added, as if it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Jess followed him to the door. She wanted him to stay more than anything but she wasn't sure that either of them had the strength not to take things to the next level too soon.

"Have dinner with me tomorrow?" He asked and Jess nodded. It would be their first real date.

"I would love that." She replied.

Tommy smiled before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead.


THE NEXT DAY

Connor frowned as he looked down at the paper work in front of him. He had only meant to look at Sins list so he could start planning more events over lunch but he was really struggling with arranging a couple of the items and now it was taking up the rest of his day. There were six items left; Bungee jump, go camping, gamble in Vegas, ride a mechanical bull, spend night at the circus and make love under the stars.

Connor cringed at the last one he did not want to think of Jess having sex with anyone. That item she was going to have to figure out herself.

Gamble in Vegas was already taken care off, the plane tickets had been bought for the weekend of Jess's birthday. Going camping and bungee jumping was also planned for a few weeks tine where Connor had found a place that offered both opportunities. That just left riding a mechanical bull and spending a night at the circus, they should have been the easiest but if anything they were harder. It seemed there would be no circus in the next two months in Starling or Central City and as for riding a mechanical bull he was at a bit of a loss. He didn't even nowhere to begin.

"What's all this?" Jenna asking making him jump. He hadn't even heard her enter his office, let alone walk over to his desk.

Connor cleared his throat to get over his embarrassment of jumping at the sound of her voice. He had always been taught to be aware of his surroundings but it seemed Jenna always got around that and it wasn't the first time she had managed to seek up on him.

"I'm trying help a friend complete something." Connor told her trying not to give too much away. He wasn't sure how Jess would feel about another person knowing about her mums list.

Jenna leant in close as she looked over his shoulder to his desk. He could smell her perfume, he couldn't help but breathe it in. Somehow she always smelt of vanilla and strawberries.

"Is this a bucket list?" she questioned bringing Connor out of his thoughts.

Connor shook his head. Why was he thinking about Jenna's sent?

"Something like that." He replied.

Jenna turned so her bum was resting on his desk and she looked down at him, her eyebrows raised.

Connor sighed. Jenna was honest and completely trustworthy, she would never tell a soul anything he didn't want her too. Is was one of the reasons he valued her so much.

"Jess's mum died when she was a kid." he started.

"Sin was sick for a long time and when she found out she was going to die she wrote a list of 25 things she wanted to do before she died. But she never got to finish the list." Connor told her sadly.

Jenna nodded for him to continue.

"Jess found the list a couple of months ago and Tommy has been helping her complete it." He explained.

Jenna turned back around and looked down at the list. She bent slightly, putting her perfectly round bum just inches from his face. Shit why was he noticing these things.

Connor stood up quick before his head could get carried away and he ended up embarrassing them both.

"This is what's left?" she asked pointing to where Connor had circled spend the night at the circus and ride a mechanical bull and put a question mark next to it.

Connor nodded.

"I have looked all over Starling and Central Cities but there will not be a circus in town before Jess birthday." Connor explained.

"So Jess birthday is the deadline?" Jenna asked and Connor nodded his confirmation.

"I have a friend who works for a production company." Jenna stated slowly.

"Now it's not a circus but I'm sure they could put something like a circus together." Jenna offered.

"Are you serious?" Connor asked. It wasn't exactly a night at the circus but it was pretty dam close so it counted.

"Let me speak to Mae and I will get back to you." Jenna replied nodding her head.

Connor smiled gratefully. That just left riding a mechanical bull.

"I don't suppose you know anywhere where Jess can ride a mechanical bull do you?" Connor questioned not really expecting an answer.

"Yeah there is a place just outside of town." Jenna replied.

Connor's mouth fell open in surprise.

"You are remarkable Jenna Holiday." He told her. She really was something.

Jenna laughed.

"I'm just doing my job." she replied simple.