Disclaimer: This is chapter I don't even know at this point. I highly doubt that you still need me to tell you that I don't own Arrow or anything remotely CW or DC related. If you do well then that's just tough cheese. Go re-read the first twenty words of any of the last dozen/ dozens/ seriously I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't know how many chapters came before this. In fact, I think I might have even worked it in to this disclaimer to if you guys really want one. Anyway, I think I have by this point ensured that I will not in fact be sued.
On with the story!
Quentin Lance had always known that Oliver Queen's concept of home was a somewhat floating and transient idea. Really when he thought about it that wasn't such a strange position to be in. If you went around and asked a hundred people what home was, a relatively small percentage of them would tell you it was where they lived. Just as many of those people would be just as willing to say that home was the town they had grown up in.
As he had gotten older Lance had come to realize that for most people home was specific other people. For still others it was more of a feeling. The feeling that you were loved, cared for, and just generally safe being exactly who you were.
For Lance, his concept of hadn't ever necessarily been the small townhouse he had grown up in with his parents or the run down shabby place he had first moved into with Dinah after they had gotten married. He had felt no less at home once he had left those places for somewhere new. His parents had been home, then Dinah and the girls had been his home. It didn't matter where they all were. They were together, and that was home because in Lance's mind all home really was was family.
While watching Oliver grow up Lance could only assume that Queen had never really had that. The freaking mansion the kid had grown up in could hardly be considered homey. Lance had once seen Oliver's room and found that it's décor matched the grandeur of the rest of the house. Nowhere inside it had there been any indication that the person who lived their at the time was an eight year old boy.
In the Lance house his kids rooms were decorated and messy and practically bursting with their own personalities. Laurel's room was painted in varying shades of purple. Her desk was organized with every subject and all of her homework organized by color and by subject. In Laurel's room all of the dolls had coordinated outfits, and all of the books on the shelves on the walls were turned the right way and alphabetized by title. Sara's room was a multicolored explosion of clothing and toys all over the floor never to be picked up or organized. One of her walls was actually painted over with blackboard paint so that she could draw on it.
Oliver's room was cleaned and organized by the Russian women Raisa. Any of his clothes or toys were stored in closets and bins and were easy to find. He had a separate play room were most of anything messy or personality related ended up being kept. Basically, Oliver was just as at home in the bedroom he lived in as he was in the Lance's living room.
That was why (in addition to about eighteen million other fatherly concerns) Lance had felt doubtful when Laurel had announced with a joyful squeal that she and Oliver were going to be looking for an apartment together. Oliver Queen was a boy who hadn't even hesitated to get on a plane that would take him to a twelve week long summer program because his house wasn't home.
To have a home it had to be a place filled with people who loved you. Oliver's parents loved him, but they were never actually in their house with their kids. Thea worshipped the ground Oliver walked on but she, as Oliver had, had discovered that staying out of a huge empty house was the best way to not feel how empty it was.
Oliver Queen grew up in a family with at least five houses they could live in but he spent more time with Tommy or at the Lance's or just plain not at home. He didn't have a real home. And as much as Oliver claimed to be in love with Laurel, and as much as Lance couldn't completely say that the kid didn't, he had also seen how he looked at his little girl. Whatever love that was, it wasn't nearly enough. Not enough to make a home anyway.
Quentin was never completely sure what Oliver had in the way of home. Even after getting back from the Island Lance wasn't quite exactly sure what Oliver qualified as his home. When Sara came back to life he had noticed a similar sense of lacking a definite grounding point. Oliver Queen and his baby girl were without anchor points. They floated as shadows to accomplish the greyer things they needed to.
The thought that Oliver's home was Star City had crossed Lance's mind briefly, but his own quick trip to Lian Yu with Oliver and Sara because it had become necessary to revisit Slade Wilson had disproved that. The three of them had needed a place to crash for the night and the other two had managed to navigate by memory alone with Oliver in the lead to a large well camouflaged cave.
"How'd you find this place?" Lance asked. "I mean, come on Queen I've seen this place now. How'd you survive here?"
Oliver had glanced up from the supplies he was laying out and shifted a few rocks to reveal what looked to be the remnants of a very old fire pit. "This," he said, gesturing around. "This used to be our home. For a while there was this old hallowed out airplane. We all lived there for a while. But this- this Island was home." Queen had glanced back down and with a few deft moments had restrung his bow and straightened up. "On bad days- the dark ones, it still seems like it is."
Then he had gotten up and walked out of the cave, making a quick gesture to Sara to indicate that he was heading out to hunt. Lance craned his neck out of the entrance to see Oliver disappearing over the edge of a shear incline that had taken them nearly two hours to conquer earlier. Watching Oliver's progress Lance couldn't help but think that Queen and Sara had been clipping their pace to accommodate him. Oliver navigated the slope with ease before vanishing in to the woods.
When Sara had come in Lance had asked. "Sara, baby girl why is this place home?"
"Did Ollie say that?" she asked looking slightly surprised. She glanced around examining the walls and the supplies, both new and old that were scattered around the cave. "Well maybe it's not always home," she mused. "But for here while everything else was screwed up this place and the old plane we used to live in... they were just safe I guess. It was me, and Ollie, and Shado for a while, and Slade before he went insane, and we took care of each other. We had food for a while. We were dry and warm. It was just a safe place to go."
Sara sat down and made herself comfortable on one of the sleeping bags they had brought. "It's not really home home," she said trying to further explain. "It's just home for who we were then. Home for here, not home for now. I think that's probably what Ollie meant. He'd probably be just as comfortable in Moscow. Anyone with eyes can see that now his home is wherever you see Felicity."
"What about Felicity?" Oliver asked, his head poking back in through the entrance as he walked in, carrying a dead something or other that Lance chose not to look at too closely until it was cooked.
Sara tipped her head at him as she stood and began to build a fire. "Just how you're all cheesy now."
Oliver had rolled his eyes, but hadn't really bothered trying to argue.
The next time Lance had gotten any sense that Oliver Queen felt like he had a home had been when he had dropped by Team Green Arrow's new lair underneath Queen's campaign office. How much did the kid really think adding a color to the name was really going to fool anyone anyway? A guy is still shooting arrows in to criminals but somehow this guy has to be different because now, he's green. Unfortunately for Lance's pride in the intelligence of his police officers, it seemed as though Oliver hadn't actually overestimated the stupidity of local law enforcement an the general public.
The whole Damian Darhk debacle was still in full swing but in something of a lull until the villain made a new move or someone on the team could figure out a new angle to work from. This meant that Lance suddenly had something that vaguely resembled free time after his "day job" ended each day. For reasons that defied his own understanding Quentin chose to spend that free time sitting in a basement watching Felicity hack in to things that she could definitely end up in a federal supermax for while he listened to her talk the team through their patrols.
Lance chipped in where he could. Normally the best he could hope to contribute were small pieces of logistic information; names, locations, etc. Otherwise he just did his best to keep any of his cops well clear of anything mystical or well, scientifically unlikely as they said.
Felicity paused her typing for a moment and began to chew on a pen cap. Lance had known her long enough to learn that it was one of the girl's many preoccupied habits. Not for the first time, he wondered how nerve wracking it had to be to sit back and guide the people she loved deliberately in to the line of fire each and every night.
"That should be the last of the muggers," Felicity reported. She checked another screen and tapped furiously at her keyboard for a moment. "The only other criminal chatter I'm picking up is a guy at the intersection of Hamilton and eighth whose been selling pirated DVDs."
"Is there anything illegal about the DVDs themselves?" Diggle asked over the comm link.
Felicity shook her head even though Lance was the only one who could see her. "Just garden variety film work. Some James Bonds, a couple Hitchcock movies, Frozen weirdly enough... Nothing remotely porny or anything like that."
Lance let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and tried to muffle his chuckle at the babble. The way the blonde techie phrased things no matter how serious could almost always cut through the tension in a scenario. Still it was good to know that one less person was selling pornography. Frankly there were just some things that the world didn't need more of, but were still a pain to have to work through for the cops.
"How about we keep letting him keep violating copy write law for tonight?" Oliver suggested. "We can each make a broad loop on the way back and make sure we don't pick up anything on Darhk but otherwise I think we're good to call it night."
Lance heard a rush of static over the speaker as Laurel's line issued a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I have to be in court early tomorrow morning."
"Guys!" Felicity squeaked excitedly. "it's only like two AM! This is the earliest we've been done in like a week. Oh, and John? Lyla sent a message telling you that if you can make it back by breakfast time tomorrow she'll be making waffles."
"Guess I'll make this a quick trip then," Diggle responded.
Felicity made a quite sound of remembered contentment. "Amen to that. Lyla's chocolate waffles are something to be celebrated on national scales."
"I could be convinced to make you some for breakfast tomorrow if you're having a craving," Oliver's voice offered. Lance rolled his eyes at that. Finding out the Oliver Queen could cook had been surprising on a new and separate level.
Felicity visibly perked up. "Yay!" It looked like se was planning to say more but was cut off by her own yawn. She glanced at Lance and shrugged. "It may be early but given how late we were last night this is still like hour thirty in my day."
Oliver gave a small chuckle. "Just don't take anything with caffeine okay? Go to sleep if you need to. I'll be back soon and I am more than capable of carrying you to the car and into the loft."
Lance saw Felicity shake her head with a sigh. "You wouldn't even know how to start turning off all of my computer programs which still means that they are a very definitive no touch zone. Not like anything else I have. Those things are very touch friendly..." She trailed off and Lance saw her lips move as she counted back from three silently. "Just come home okay?"
"On my way," Queen responded without hesitating. Both of them ignored the sounds off mock disgust coming from Thea.
Quentin followed their example and turned. He crossed to the railing surrounding the raised platform that housed Felicity's computers and regarded the space. His eyes landed on the lit display cases. When he had bashed in to their original base he had questioned why they would ever keep that kind of evidence on display.
He got it now, especially as he watched the team file in. This basement underneath Oliver Queen's campaign office might have been hidden, but it was also the only place where no one on the team had to hide. Identities and weaknesses could stay inside those walls.
Those thoughts were only driven home as Lance watched. John Diggle walked comfortably across the foundry with his guns in their holsters and his helmet off. Laurel and Thea stood leaning against a low metal table talking about plans for a movie night over the weekend as Laurel brushed the tangles out of her post-wig hair and Thea scrubbed at her face with a cleansing wipe Lance recognized from raising two daughters.
The biggest adjustment was in Oliver though. Here in this base he seemed to peal back layers of disguise bit by bit. After his first steps inside his hood came down. Next he pealed away his mask and reached back to drop it into his quiver. As Queen passed one of the supply tables he unbuckled his quiver and set down his bow. His gloves joined that pile before he crossed to Felicity and placed a light kiss to the top of her hair, one hand landing on her shoulder and rubbing lightly.
Felicity spun to face him. "Hey," she said, sounding tired. "Are you alright?"
"All good," Oliver promised her with a smile. He leaned down to kiss her again and Lance turned away. A moment later he heard Oliver say, "Power everything down. I just need to change and then we'll go."
"And later waffles," Felicity added. She sounded like she had long ago hit the stage of tiredness where absolutely everything seemed more hyped up and entertaining than it actually was. Personally Lance called that stage punchy.
Oliver nodded still smiling. "Yes later, much much later. Then I have a campaign meetings from nine until six and then back here."
"Barrels of fun," Thea commented as she moved past. "I will be right there with you big brother. But first I'm going to change and head back with laurel. I need sleep. All six hours of it..."
"Stop complaining," Laurel chided. "I have court at seven."
Diggle slipped back towards the door, already changed with several clean white bandages wrapping around his knuckles. Lance remembered glass shattering earlier and the man reporting having to punch through a window. "All the more reason for all of you to quit you're chatting and head on home. I'm off to spend some time with my wife and daughter." He gave a small wave from the door way. "I'm out. Watch your six everyone."
Laurel and Thea were the next ones to leave. Lance walked out just before Oliver and Felicity. Oliver paused when they reached the campaign office and shifted the arm he had around Felicity. He looked over at Lance. "You two walk out to the car okay. I'm just going to lock up."
Felicity mumbled a tired agreement and Lance nodded. He made it a point to watch the blonde as she wobbled a little in her high heels. Mentally he resolved to weight until Queen reached the parking lot before leaving. Oliver followed quickly though, resetting all of the security protocols. The final step was the perfectly mundane action of locking the front door of the campaign office.
Like locking your house when you leave. Lance thought. The thought made him pause. The secret base was a home. They behaved like it was a home inside it, ad they locked the front door like they were doing something as simple as going to get groceries.
Of course, he expected nothing less of a home owned by Oliver Queen. Mundane and domestic on the outside. Lethal and purposeful underneath.
The lair had absolutely nothing on the home Oliver Queen had managed to make with Felicity Smoak. The first time Lance ever set foot in the loft space that had first belonged to Thea Queen it was in preparation for a very awkward family dinner. Of course, of all of the truly incredible women he could have fallen for in a bar in this city the one he bumped in to was the one destined to be Oliver Queen's future mother in law. Of all the gin joints in all the world.
But Donna Smoak was something special. She was blonde and bright and lively. She made Lance feel like his heart didn't have to be reserved solely for Laurel and Sara anymore. So, if Donna Smoak wanted him to eat dinner with Oliver and Felicity, he would have dinner with Oliver and Felicity.
The loft space was large and spacious. All of the lines were clean and he knew enough about architecture to know that the space was well designed. One entire wall was made out of windows that looked out over the lights of the city. There was something strange about that. It made the responsibility of all of the people out there almost omnipresent. There was no where in that loft for the Green Arrow to stop looking out for the people below.
That wasn't the most stunning feature of the space though. No, that aspect belonged to the seamless way Felicity's tastes had been blended with Oliver's. Looking around the room showed both distinct personalities, and still managed to express that this was a space belonging to two people who shared a life.
Warm looking rugs covered sleek hardwood floors. Brightly colored pillows and throws were spread and scattered over the furniture in the main living space. However, the furniture frames themselves were solid metal, utilitarian and industrial. The Hobbit rested on a book shelf next to a warn copy of the odyssey, and a separate shelf housed dozens upon dozens of movies and TV shows.
The kitchen revealed a frankly industrial looking coffee maker on the counter nestled below a cabinet that housed herbal tea in boxes covered in Chinese characters. A liquor cabinet below the island seemed to be split jurisdiction between authentic Russian vodka and what he would guess was extremely good red wine. The space was completely void of any and all nut products and the freezer was fully stocked with mint chip ice cream, a pint of which served as dessert for the evening.
Lance was willing to bet that if he had ventured in to the main bedroom or the bathroom off of it it would have revealed a similar fifty fifty split. In his head he could clearly see bottles of the extraordinarily bright nail polish that always adorned Felicities fingers next to men's shaving cream and two toothbrushes in a cup together on the sink. He could also picture a closet divided between men's suits and women's dresses with the bottom over run with shoes.
Oliver actually arrived slightly after Quentin and Donna did for the legitimate reason of mayoral business and was greeted by Felicity who had only just finished an impromptu conference call with the Palmer Tech board when they had arrived. "Welcome home," she said with a quick kiss to his cheek.
Lance saw Oliver smile over the top of Felicity's head. "After how long this day has been it is unbelievably nice to be home. He looked over her head to meet Lance's eyes before looking to Donna. "It's good to see you both. If you just give me a moment I'll be back down. I just want to run up and change first."
"Of course it's alright sweetie," Donna piped in from where she was seated. Felicity and I have plenty to chat about. Go go!" she shooed.
Oliver followed her light commands and moved towards the stairs. Quentin couldn't help but smile. The fact that Donna Smoak was in no way shy about bossing Queen around just made him like her all the more. "Whatever you like Kid," he added. "We're in your home."
Oliver met his gaze and this time he held it for a moment before nodding.
It was true. This loft wasn't just a living space. It was a warm safe space with state of the art technology and bright decorations with neutral colored walls. It was a place where weapons weren't required but the security was state of the art. It was two lives blended together between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, a girl who Lance could see the Kid loved more than any other person on the planet.
This was a home, and no matter what else Lance knew, he knew that homes were sacred.
A/N: Happy Black Friday Everybody! What did you guys all think? I wasn't totally crazy about the ending so if anybody has any ideas for improvements I am more than willing to hear them. Thank you all for the amazing feedback so far. Review for me! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo