Sorry this chapter is so short, but I decided to cut one chapter into two. I apologize in advance if Mallory comes off as a brat in this chapter, but I think this chapter is important because, well, you'll see in the next chapter or two, and it also shows the bond that has developed between her and Roy. Anyway, hope you like the chapter and please review. like I said, I want more reviews before I put up the season finale, so review!

Mallory came out of her training room the next day to smells of Thanksgiving foods cooking. Conner was in the living area with Wolf, Megan and Zatanna were in the kitchen cooking, and Wally was at the counter snacking.

"Hey, Wally, my mom wanted me to invite you to Thanksgiving leftovers tomorrow. You coming?" she asked, pausing at the zeta tube.

"Yeah, I'll be there," he said.

As she punched in her coordinates for the zeta tube, she heard Wally say, "Oh, I love Thanksgiving." Then she heard a slap and Megan said, "Wally!" Mallory smiled, and the light pulled her to Central city.

As soon as she opened the door to her house, she was assaulted with all of the smells of food cooking, all blending together to create one heavenly, mouth-watering aroma.

"Oh, Mallory, you're back. I was just about to take the turkey out of the oven," Elaine said.

"I'll do it," Mallory offered. She ignored the oven mitts sitting on the counter and took the turkey out.

"Wally said he is coming tomorrow," Mallory mentioned, scanning the counter to see what else she could do.

"Good, because I made way more than we'll be able to eat. Will you go get your dad?"

Mallory went into the living room, but Darrin wasn't there. Her mom's laptop was open on the table, and she glanced at it absently. It was open to an adoption agency's website. She looked closer and saw a half completed registration form.

"Mom?" Mallory called. "What's this?"

"What's what?" Elaine asked.

"This adoption thing on your laptop," Mallory said.

"Oh, honey, that's not how we want you to find out."

Mallory's heart stopped, and a pang of fear went through her chest.

"Find out what?" she asked, but she already knew.

Elaine went into the living room so she could see Mallory. "Darrin and I are going to adopt again."

It felt like a punch to the gut, leaving her gasping for breath, her head fogging up. Elaine was going on about something, but all Mallory could make sense of was one thought: they were replacing her. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but the fogginess stayed. Elaine kept talking, saying something about how nice it would be to have a kid around the house. Mallory backed up. She felt like she was suffocating. She needed some air.

She ran out the front door, not bothering with a jacket. The crisp autumn air did little to clear her head. She ran down the street, her feet unconsciously taking her to the zeta tube. She could hear Elaine calling her, but it wasn't registering that she should turn around. She slipped into the phone booth and slid to the floor, raking her hands in her hair, trying to breathe. A storm of emotions came at her all at once. Anger, hurt, guilt, sadness. She didn't know how to deal with it.

She could hear her parents, Darrin was there now, calling her as they ran after her. She shut the phone booth door. She couldn't do this right now. They were getting closer. She went to punch in coordinates, but her hand hovered on the keypad. Where was she going to go? She didn't want Megan's sympathy right now, so the cave wasn't an option. She couldn't go to Wally's or Isaiah's houses and ruin their Thanksgivings with their families. Clark was in Smallville spending the holiday with his folks.

Her parents were only a few feet away. She punched in her coordinates and the light sucked her away just as Darrin reached out to open the door.

She came out in a dingy alley in Star city. If there was one person who wouldn't have plans on Thanksgiving, it would be Roy. At least, she hoped so. She walked out of the alley and started wandering down the street. She'd been to Roy's apartment a few times, with Wally and Robin, so she knew where she was going. She was oblivious to the stares she was getting from the people on the streets. She was still in her training clothes, the fireproof shorts and shirt that she had from the school, and the November afternoon was unusually cold. She barely noticed. Amazingly, she made it to Roy's apartment building without anyone trying to mug her. She ran up the stairs.

When she got to his door on the top floor, she paused. What was she doing? What if he had someone over? Was it really fair to make him help her with her problems? She started pacing, her feet silent on the old wood floors.

She had just decided that she should figure things out on her own and started walking away when she heard the door open behind her.

"Mallory?" Roy said, surprised.

Mallory turned around. "Hey. Sorry to mess up your day," she said quietly, not trusting her voice.

Roy studied her face. "Come on in," he said.

She walked into the dingy apartment and he closed the door behind her.

"What happened?" he asked.

Mallory bit her lips, her throat all but closed. "Can I stay here for a while?" she asked when she got control of her voice.

Roy sat on his couch and she followed him. "Sure, but why? Did something happen with the team?"

Mallory shook her head and took a breath. She hated crying in front of people. "My, uh, parents are going to adopt a kid. They're filling out paperwork and everything." Roy waited for her to continue, his face concerned. "Only they forgot to tell me about it. I found out today because they left their laptop open. They've been going through channels for months. Before I left the school. My mom was saying how it would be good to have a kid around the house, the way I wasn't."

She looked away and cleared her throat. "Uh, I don't want to talk about it. Can I just stay here tonight? I don't want the team to give up their thanksgiving, and I really don't want their attention right now."

Roy's face held understanding. "Sure. You want something to eat?" He got up and went into his kitchen, which was so small that it could only hold one person at a time. "I have canned beans, two microwave dinners, and a jar of cashews. Take your pick."

"I guess the beans," she said. She watched as he took the lid off the can of beans, stuck a spoon in it, and brought it to her. "Thanks," she said. Roy went back to the kitchen and came back with the cashews.

Mallory smiled a little. "Why don't you have any food?" she asked.

"Well, it's either arrows or food, and I need arrows more," Roy replied.

"Aren't you Oliver Queen's son?" she asked. Roy shot her look, and she threw up her free hand. "I know things are complicated with you two, but don't you have a trust fund or whatever rich people give their kids?"

"I had one, but I stopped using it when I stopped being Speedy. I don't want anything from him. Ollie thought all my problems could be solved with money, so when I left, I didn't want his money helping me out."

Mallory nodded thoughtfully. "So you don't have plans for thanksgiving?" she asked, changing the subject.

Roy shook his head. "I was just going to patrol a little. It's pretty quiet, though, I don't have to go."

Mallory set the half empty can on the table. "You can go, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Roy asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'd come with you, but I left my suit at the cave."

Roy got up and went in his room. Mallory settled in on the couch, curling up against the arm and slowly eating her beans. A few minutes later, Roy came back in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Well, what are we watching?" he asked, sitting on the couch and turning on the tv.

Mallory looked up at him. "What about patrolling?" she asked.

He shrugged. "The city can get along one night without Red Arrow."

Mallory smiled. "I wish you were on the team," she told him.

Roy looked at her. "Yeah, well, you know I can't, but I wish I could, just for you and Rob and Wally."

They stayed up the whole night watching Criminal Minds and talking about the worst crimes they'd ever seen.