Disclaimer: Not mine, etc, etc.

Different Queens

By Kylia

Club Reflections

"Max Fuller opened a club?" Olivia said, looking around. "I guess I can see it." She didn't recognize the music being played in the club, but it was of a familiar style, the sort of thing that would have gotten the old her out on the dance floor, especially if she had a few shots in her. But she wasn't going to do that any time soon. "He always did like blue." She observed, almost all the dim lighting tinted that color to one extent or another.

She wouldn't have come to the club at all, but Tommy had asked her, assuring her they could sit in a table in the back of the VIP room - which Tommy of course qualified, and she did too. And Olivia knew that she should make more appearances. Word of her new charitable initiative was starting to spread, with tabloids of course full of people assuming it was a vanity trip (Olivia tried to avoid them, but Tara kept an eye on them to see if any paparazzi photos showed signs of people getting too close or having taken pictures they shouldn't have been able to. One of her previous clients had had her phone hacked to get pictures taken, for instance).

Granted, Olivia didn't have a phone that some paparazzo could hack, not anymore, but she could appreciate the point. Though she had pointed out she'd be more than capable of being aware of someone getting too close.

Given that her last attempt to spend time with Tommy had been interrupted by a shooting - and she still wasn't sure why she'd put him at risk by inviting him - she had agreed. She could give him an evening. She had missed him - did miss him, since she'd seen him so little since coming back to Starling.

The bouncer at the VIP room let them past wordlessly, and Olivia told him to let Tara past as well.

"Does she follow you everywhere?" Tommy asked.

"Just about," Olivia confirmed. She saw Tommy start to frown just a moment, though he covered it up quickly. "Don't worry, she can keep her distance while she keeps an eye out." Tommy nodded, and they moved over to an empty booth in the back, flagging down a waitress, while Tara stood against a wall some distance away, keeping an eye on them. She wasn't even the only private bodyguard in the VIP room.

She and Tommy ordered their drinks, and they sat.

"I hear you're starting a new project in the Glades." Tommy said after a moment, tensing. Olivia wondered about the tension, but only for a moment. "Are you... are you sure that's safe? I mean, last time we were in that neighborhood we got jumped by those three kidnappers."

"Well, that's why I have the bodyguard," Olivia pointed out. "I'll be safe." I'm not going to get killed like your mom. She wanted to just say that, but... "And I think it's necessary. The Glades needs the help, and it's not like I need the money I'll be putting into it."

Tommy laughed, "There is that. And if you ever need more, you can just throw a charity gala or something."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Olivia agreed. "We always said 'someone should do something' when Loren would start talking about the state of things in the city. I had a lot of time to think, the last five years."

Tommy nodded, "I suppose if I had nothing to do on an island for five years but reflect, I'd come to the conclusion I needed to do things differently do. I did get there, slowly." He added. "Getting there, anyway."

"Tommy, no. You're-" Olivia started. Tommy was a good guy. Rich, entitled and carefree, but she didn't really want that last part to change. And he was a lot better than most of their peers.

"Olivia, come on, everything you got up to, I got up to worse." He pointed out. "And for most of the last five years, it was just more of the same." He shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not trying to bring down the mood, I promise." The waitress returned with their drinks and Tommy took a sip of his.

"It's fine." Olivia sipped - very slowly and carefully - at her own cocktail. "I know the last five years couldn't have been easy for you either."

"Not as bad as being stranded on an island or... worse," Tommy trailed off for a moment. "It wasn't all bad, there were some good moments. But... I missed you, a lot. When this place opened," he gestured around them, "my first thought was 'I should see if Olivia wants to check it out'. Before I remembered." His momentarily maudlin expression turned to a smile. "But at least now we can."

"I can't believe all of the last five years were just the exact same as before," Olivia started. What had his life been in that time?

Tommy inclined his head to the side, "No, not exactly the same. I did try to be there for Theo, help him out." He laughed, "Kind of absurd, me trying to be the responsible one for him. Your brother has more responsibility in his finger than either of us had at his age."

Olivia nodded, "I was worried what was he was up to, if he'd decided to copy our example." She smiled a little as well, shaking her head, "Really shouldn't have worried."

"Not remotely. Almost enough to make you wonder how you two are siblings." Tommy joked, and Olivia couldn't help but laugh softly. "But yeah, I tried to be there. Loren too. But for a while there, Theo stopped talking to Loren, so it was just me." He sipped at his drink. "He asked me for dating advice a few months before you got back."

Olivia sat up, giving Tommy a pointed look. "And just what did you tell him?"

"To not do things the way I did, of course. He was inviting Madison Danforth out, so I tried to give him some pointers. I'm not sure I helped, since I don't think it went anywhere." Tommy shrugged.

"He'll figure it out." Olivia considered. "It took you a bit to make things work - I still remember how you struck out with Vicky Donovan when we were fifteen." She hid her smirk behind her drink, sipping at it.

Tommy gave an exaggerated wince. "Oh, come on, don't remind me of that, Olivia! Come on, I did my best!"

"And she wasn't impressed at all," Olivia pointed out.

"Well, she was seventeen at the time," Tommy conceded. "I was probably doomed no matter how good I was, but," he held up his drink, one finger raised, "I did get better."

Olivia nodded. He did. By the time they were in senior year at Balloi Prep, Tommy had never had any shortage of female companionship. He could be - he was - charming, funny, and he was very handsome. She'd seen how he could talk a girl into taking him to her place with a smile, some flirting and a few touches. Or just about. He'd once joked that he was a Merlyn, so he had to have some magic powers.

Not that Olivia had lacked for male attention - even once she was dating Loren, people still tried, a lot. Not when Loren was around, or at least not after the first few times. Loren had never gotten physical with anyone who didn't lay hands on him, or Olivia or Tommy or especially Sara, but he didn't usually need to be.

Before Olivia's mind could follow the trail of regret about what had happened to Sara, she changed topic a little, going back to something Tommy had said. "You said Theo stopped talking to Loren for a while? Why?'

"What do you think?" Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow. When Tommy asked it that way... Olivia supposed it was obvious.

"McKenna?"

Tommy shook his head, rejecting the idea quickly, waving his free hand side to side a bit, "No, no. I mean, I guess that's connected to it - no. Theo - he never stopped believing you were still alive. The rest of us, even Loren eventually..." He swallowed. "We gave up. Accepted that..."

"You had every reason to believe it." Olivia pointed out. "Theo didn't stop talking to you after you-"

"Believed you were dead?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, and Olivia nodded. "He wasn't happy with me about it, but... I think it's just because Loren was the last one to. He held out the longest. Kept trying to find some... proof. Theo kept trying to help, and then..." Tommy laughed, the sound a little hollow. "You know, I have never heard a thirteen year old curse as much as Theo did the day Loren said he believed you were dead."

Olivia blinked. Theo? Cursing? She'd hardly have believed her little brother knew the words at that age. "Wait, really?"

"Oh yeah. Cursed him out in three languages, too. English and Spanish, and Chinese, of all things."

"He was taking Chinese?" It made sense, since Theo had always been groomed to take over the company...

"Not then, though he is now. One of his best friends at the time was Chinese, the kid of a businessman in the states for a year. I guess the kid taught Theo some bad words along with the useful ones." Tommy smiled. "He wasn't happy about McKenna either, but... he didn't stop talking to Loren that time, at least."

"I'm glad that you and Loren could be there for him." Olivia nodded. Three languages? At his age? How hard was mom working him?

"Speaking of McKenna, and Loren..." Tommy started slowly. "I - I know you said you were okay with it, at your welcome home party, but..." Tommy trailed off, and she saw him rub is hands together in front of him, down in his lap. Though given the topic, Olivia could see why he might feel nervous. "I just - how are you feeling about it? After more time to... you know. Process?"

How I feel is irrelevant, isn't it? It was how Loren felt that was important. Loren was happy with McKenna. And... he was a cop. Even if he'd been single, even if the option to pick up where they'd left off existed... Olivia could hardly risk putting him in a situation where he was torn between the badge, and her.

No. It was for the best. She should thank McKenna, for being there for Loren. For making things simpler.

Olivia took a sip of her drink, a small sip, and inhaled slowly. "It doesn't hurt anymore, if you mean that. Like I told them, I... I emotionally prepared for the prospect that he'd find someone." Olivia chose her words carefully. "If you're asking if I was happy to find out, I wasn't. But I - I'm not pining after Loren, or anything like that." Olivia repeated that in her own head.

Because it was true.

It was.

"Just like that?" Tommy asked, and there was disbelief in his tone, but... something else. Hope? I guess he's just - glad to hear that I'm not pining? It would be like Tommy to want her to move on, for her own benefit. To really be okay with it.

"Like I said, I wasn't happy when I found out. But it's been a month. Between that, and... already expecting it, on the Island, I - yeah. Maybe not 'just like that', but - I'm okay with it. Loren was my friend, before anything else. He still is."

"That's good." Tommy nodded. "I'm glad you're - that you're moving on." He gave her a soft smile.

"How about you? How goes the Eternal Prowl of Tommy Merlyn?" Olivia asked. "See any girls you're interested in?" She gestured towards the VIP room. "We could go out to the dance floor and I could play wingwoman, just like old times?" She wasn't really thrilled at the prospect, but she could, for Tommy.

Tommy held up a hand. "No. Haven't even really been looking. Tonight's about catching up with you."

Olivia blinked, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Tommy Merlyn?"

Tommy looked away for a moment, then back to her. "Just - it's a long story. But I've... I've been on the 'prowl' a lot less, lately." He said, starting to rub his hands together a little, again. "You know me, always live in the moment and all, but-" Olivia watched him, wondering where this was going when she heard someone approach the table. She turned a little, seeing Max Fuller standing there.

"Olivia Queen. Long time no see."

"Max." Olivia nodded. "I like your club." She could see Tommy grimace a moment at Max's interruption - did Tommy have some issue with Max? They'd never been friends before, but they'd gotten along. Why would Tommy come here if he and Max didn't now?

"I could give you a tour, if you like." Max said, smiling. He held out a hand, as if offering to help her up.

"Thanks, but I think I'm fine," Olivia refused, keeping her tone polite. She watched him run his eyes over her, over her dress - long sleeves, nearly floor length, like every dress she was wearing these days. No heels, either. "I was just having a drink with Tommy." She gestured to her cocktail. "Still easing my way into things."

"Then let me help with that. Please, I insist." Max pressed. Olivia knew that tone, that appraising look in Max's eye. She'd never gotten it from him, but she'd definitely gotten it from a lot of men in the past. She inhaled, clenching her jaw, debating the best way to get out of this without causing any issues, Max had always been a bit pushy - never going too far, but still. Five years ago, it had bothered her a lot less. It had seemed... more normal.

Back then, anyway.

"She's not interested, Max," Tommy said, firmly, meeting Max's gaze. "Aren't you married, anyway?" He gestured meaningfully to Max's ring finger, which did have a gold band there. Max shrugged.

"I don't really see how that's any of your business." Max pointed out.

"It is mine, if you're seriously trying to work your way up to asking me to sleep with you." Olivia slid up and out from the table, standing up. "It may have been five years, but I can't believe you've forgotten I don't waste time on cheaters." The twinge that reminded her of her mistake there, that drunken night with Tommy, was one she ignored. That had been an accident, a mistake, and she'd been the one cheating then.

Max was fully cognizant of everything.

"It's hardly cheating." Max shrugged, "My wife knows the way things work. Besides, you're single now. Not even in that on-again-off-again way you used to be." He smirked, and if not for the last five years, Olivia would have felt dirty just seeing that look on Max's face. He's gotten so much worse.

"Right." Tommy was standing now, stepping half in front of Olivia, between her and Max. "And if I told your wife about this, she'd just be completely cool with it?"

"She knows better than to give me grief over it." Max said with a laugh.. "You know how it is, Tommy. Guys like us, we're not meant to stay tied down. And before she 'died', Olivia got around a lot when she and Lance weren't together." He gave her a predatory smile that Max probably thought was charming.. "I always regretted that I never got a chance to get a piece of you." He said, looking at her.

Olivia inhaled sharply, hands clenching into fists, feeling like she needed a shower. "Max, I'm leaving." She said firmly, moving to walk past him. Max stepped to the side, in front of her, not letting her by.

"Come on, Olivia. What? How many guys have you been with, huh? Why'd they get a taste, and I don't?"

Tommy started to step forward, raising his hand, about to punch Max, but Olivia put her hand on Tommy's arm, holding it back easily.

"Tommy, don't." Olivia murmured quietly. Tommy was still tense, but he lowered his arm, just a little.

"That's right Merlyn, don't." Max sneered, voice dripping with derision. This is my club. Everyone here works for me, and I own the cameras. Even if your dad actually cares enough to make assault charges go away, he's sure as hell going to decide you're completely worthless as a son if you throw a punch at me." He leaned forward. "You must be wondering every time he bails you out if that's the time he's going to disown-"

Olivia had tried to keep this calm. She hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself like this, didn't want to end up on the tabloid pages for getting in a fight. She'd been willing to put up with him leering at her, or making those comments. Not if the alternative was worse. But before she had even registered she was doing it, as Max started hitting Tommy in one of his most sensitive spots, her fist had lashed out and crashed into Max's face, sending him stumbling back, and then he fell on his ass.

"Merlyn, you just made the worst mistake of your life," Max ground out, looking up from the floor, blood on his lower lip. He was about to say more, grinning triumphantly as his two guys stepped between him and them, both looking at Tommy ready to start whaling on him.

"Tommy didn't hit you, Max. I did." Olivia cut in, stepping in front of Tommy. "Now, are you going to let us leave, or do I need to do it again?" Her tone was cold, fists clenched.

Max climbed to his feet, touching his lip and looking at the blood on his hands. "What the hell, Queen?!" He gestured to his guys, "Deal with-" He was cut off again, this time by Tara's hand on his shoulder.

"I strongly advise that you and your security leave my client and her friend alone, Mr. Fuller." Tara said, firmly.

"Who the hell are you?!" Fuller turned around.

"I'm Miss Queen's bodyguard, and you're the man who just told her she wasn't allowed to leave, after repeatedly harassing her despite her requests for you to stop," Tara explained.

"This is my club! She assaulted me!"

"And you can press charges if you really want, but if you don't let us leave, now," Tara said, her other hand wrapping around his wrist, and from the way Max winced, she was holding tight, "then the headline tomorrow will be how Max Fuller got his ass beat by two women. Somehow, I don't think that's the headline you want."

She let go of Max and moved around to stand between Olivia and Tommy, and Max's guys, gesturing for them to head for the exit.

Max snarled wordlessly, then gestured to all three of them - Tommy, Olivia and Tara. "You three are 86'd for life. If I see any of you here again, I will press charges!"

"Somehow, I think we'll survive never coming back here," Tommy said, following Olivia out of the VIP room, and then out of the club, into the alleyway they'd come in through. Olivia was clenching her jaw. I shouldn't have done that. Max might not be pressing charges, but if word spread from the witnesses in the VIP room, then...

And she let her anger get ahead of her. She couldn't be doing that. It didn't matter now, but - in the field...

"Head up to the street, I'll get the car," Tara said, stepping away, and Olivia let out a breath.

"I'm sorry I got you banned from the club."

Tommy shook his head, "I would have gotten myself banned if you hadn't stopped me. Or worse." He let out a long, slow breath.

"Your dad isn't going to disown you, Tommy. Nothing you've done is that big a deal."

"If dad did disown me, it's not like our relationship would get any worse." Tommy disagreed. "How did you - you split his lip and landed him on his ass! I mean - I know - I mean," He gestured to her arms. "You have muscles now, which... look really good on you actually," Tommy admitted, grinning for a moment. "But - still. How did you do that?"

"Having to hunt or catch your own food for five years does wonders for your upper body strength, apparently," Olivia replied. Tommy basically knew she hadn't been alone on the island, or the implication was there, but she - there wasn't anything she could tell him. Not now.

And would Tommy even understand? He - there was no way.

"But I don't recommend it as a workout strategy." Olivia added.

"I can definitely imagine that it has downsides." Tommy agreed. "Still, next time the urge to defend your honor strikes, remind me you have it down just fine." He chuckled. "The look on his face when you told him you took him down!"

A Later Night

Loren looked up as McKenna opened the door, closing it firmly behind her, letting out a long sigh as she hung her coat up on the hook on the door.

"You okay? You're even later than you said you'd be." They'd planned to have a date night tonight, though such things were always subject to the vagaries of their job, and McKenna had texted an hour before they were due to go out that they'd have to cancel, that she wouldn't get home until 10, which would have made her shift nearly 16 hours.

It was almost 11 now.

"Just - a lot of paperwork for some recent arrests. DA's office wants everything checked and rechecked. And there were challenges to all the warrants, so I had to reargue every justification for everyone so that could be answered..." McKenna's shoulders sagged and she let out a long, exhausted breath. "I'm sorry."

"'Kenna, you don't need to apologize. It's not like I haven't done the same thing to you. We're cops. It comes with the territory." He moved back on the couch, gesturing for her to join him, and she sat down in front of him, kicking off her shoes as he started to massage her shoulders gently.

"Oh..." McKenna let out a long sigh. "You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this by the middle of today,"

Loren chuckled, "Sometimes I think you only said yes to my proposal so you get a shoulder massage more often," He teased, feeling the tension in her shoulders, her neck.

"Not the only reason," McKenna said with a soft note of laughter, teasing in her tone. "But it's definitely one of your main selling points." She chuckled, then let out another long breath. "Have any more surprise visits from Robin Hood?"

McKenna was the one person Loren had told the full story of the 'tip' he'd gotten about Deadshot, because he knew she wouldn't spill the details to IA, or his dad or anyone else. Obviously some details of their respective cases had to be kept from the other, but Loren didn't want to keep secrets from his fiance.

Loren shook his head, "Nothing. And I hope that stays true. The guy's a killer." And yet, the more Loren reflected back to that night, the more it struck him that... he hadn't felt even the slightest worry for his own life and safety from the Hood. "Stopping Deadshot was good, but... this isn't a comic book, where teaming up with vigilantes is something a cop can actually do."

"True. And I happen to like you not riddled with arrows," McKenna said, turning a little to give him a kiss on the lips, which Loren returned for several long seconds, running his hand over McKenna's arms and then she pulled back.

"We both don't go into the station until late tomorrow," Loren said after a moment. "We can't go out, but we can definitely crack open a bottle of wine and see where the night goes after that?" He offered her a suggestive smirk.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," McKenna kissed him again for another moment, and then she moved so he could get up and move to the kitchen.

A Little Too Late

With the Hood catching attention across the city, the one percent was getting wise to the fact that were the targets, and reacting accordingly. Some, like Nelson Ravich, had decided to take the path of least resistance. It had taken less than five minutes for Ravich to agree to hand back the money. It had come with waivers covering him from future lawsuit, but the victims had their money back, so Olivia wasn't going to force the issue.

She would be keeping an eye on Ravich, in case he tried this again.

But others, like Jason Brodeur, had upped their security. Changed routines. And Olivia could guess why.

Three days ago, Peter Declan had been put to death for the murder of his wife. A murder he maintained to his last minutes was the fault of Jason Brodeur. Olivia had tried to find some in, some way to get information that would have saved the man's life, but the SCPD's database wasn't something Tara could just crack open so easily, even for 'cold cases'. And this late in the game, a forced confession wouldn't be enough. Not without someone who could actually force the courts to listen and issue a stay.

Olivia had tried. She'd given Brodeur a chance to do the right thing, and he hadn't. He'd gone to ground instead, hiding in a property under his ex-wife's name.

"The building schematics on file with the city say that there's an external basement entrance around the back alley. One of thise big sloping ones," Tara's voice said in her ear.

"I see it," Olivia said, creeping to the edge of the roof she was on, peering towards it. "He's got a man guarding it." More thorough than the last two rich bastards she'd gone after - Paul Jordan and Paul Henry, partnered defense attorneys that had broken countless laws to force people trying to sue their clients to back down - blackmail, witness tampering, destruction of documents, death threats, arson, theft and more. No murder, but they'd gotten close several times.

Both men had tried to up their security as well, but their security had missed multiple points of entry.

"Just one though." Olivia strung an arrow, aiming carefully -

She fired, the arrow quickly lodging in the guard's leg, the electrical shock jamming up his muscles and leaving his cry of pain strangled out, quieter. Olivia fired a grapple-arrow, riding it down to land next to him, checking his vitals as he lay there, bleeding in the leg, but he'd live.

Breaking open the lock on the basement doors with another arrow was easy enough, and then she was in. She focused on incapacitation as much as she could, but once the guards realized she was there - and that was inevitable - the guns were out, and she didn't have as much time or openings to leave things so nonlethal.

She still didn't take kill shots if she could avoid it but -

A dozen more security guards later, including one that had proven to be particularly tough, coming from behind, nearly knocking her to the ground at one point, but she ultimately was able to get under his guard and take him out, an arrow between his ribs. She kicked in the door that man had been guarding, and saw Jason Brodeur there, cowering in the corner. Olivia turned on a recording arrow in her quiver.

"Jason Brodeur, you have failed this city." She drew a real arrow, aiming at him.

"I - I'll confess! I'll go to the police and confess! I - Ankov! Ankov is the one who killed Camille Declan!," he pointed to the man Laurel had just taken out. "But I - yes, I ordered him to do it! I'll confess! I'll pay restitution for the chemical dumping!" Brodeur babbled out, desperate, tears in his eyes.

Olivia shook her head, taking a step closer. "That's too little, too late. I gave you a chance to do the right thing. But Peter Declan is dead, because you murdered his wife and framed him for it!" Olivia shot the arrow, getting Brodeur in the leg. She crouched down, watching his eyes widen as he shook, his terror increasing, the fact that he was about to meet his maker hitting home. He didn't try to fight, just begged, crying harder, shaking.

"Oh god, oh god, no, no, please, no," Brodeur begged, eyes closing,

She spoke in a low growl, "There's nothing you can do to make up for what you did. Not when you squandered your chance." Olivia stepped back and strung another arrow, firing, watching it embed in his chest.

By the time the police got there, she was long gone, and the List was one name shorter.