Chapter 29 — Viva Las Vegas

Oliver frowns at the incessant knocking on his door. He was getting ready to go on his nightly patrol. His cell phone which was sitting on the counter next to his compound bow starts buzzing. Zoey's name was on the screen. He picks up the phone. "Hey, Zo, I was just getting ready to head out for the night. Can we talk later," he tells her.

"Oh," Zoey softly says.

Something in her voice made him pause. This wasn't like her. "Zoey, are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine. We-we-we-we can talk later. But, um, can-can you let me in? I-I-I know I shouldn't have shown up at your place without letting you know first. Oh god, you're probably not even home. What am I doing? I'm so stupid," Zoey rambles.

Oliver crosses the living room of his penthouse to the front door. He unlocks it. "Zo, the door's unlocked," he tells her.

"Oh."

Oliver takes a few steps away from the door as it slowly opens. The last thing he needed was anyone to see him in his Green Arrow costume. Zoey walks in, pulling the large suitcase behind her. She quietly shuts the door behind her. He knew something was wrong. Just a few days ago she had been talking about what to get Bruce for his upcoming birthday. She had called him, hoping that he could give her some suggestions. He also found it odd that she would come to him and not go to her godparents or Max. "Zo, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I, um, I'm fine. Yeah. Perfectly fine," Zoey stammers.

Oliver frowns. "You're lying."

"Um, Bruce broke up with me."

"When?"

"This-this morning. His exact words were 'Get the fuck out of my house and my life.' So, yeah."

"Why not go home or Max's?"

"I-I don't know. I don't…I don't know what to do." Zoey shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't…I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry."

Zoey turns to head back towards the door, but he grabs her arm. "Zo, it's fine. I mean it," Oliver tells her. She looks at him and he's taken aback by the look in her eyes; the one that was afraid he would reject her. Oliver pulls her into a tight embrace. "It's fine, Zo. I got you." The entire time she had been packing her stuff; she didn't cry. She didn't cry on the flight across the country. But being in Oliver's embrace, she can no longer hold back the tears. Oliver rests his chin on the top of her head. Her body shakes as the sobs finally escape her. "I got you, Zo."

Zoey opens her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar bedroom. She slowly sits up and recognizes the skyline of Star City. She climbs out of bed and walks out of the room. She recognized where she was: Oliver's penthouse. He was nowhere to be seen. She walks out onto the balcony and leans against it. Oliver's penthouse had some of the most amazing views of the city. One could easily see Star City Bay with the mountains behind it. Zoey leans against the railing as the gentle morning breezes surround her.

Oliver steps into the penthouse and closes the door behind him. He was carrying a paper bag and a tray of coffee. He stops upon seeing Zoey on the balcony. There was something in the way she looked standing there with the sunrise around her. He sets the coffee and pastries down before walking out onto the balcony. "So, why did Bruce suddenly dump you," Oliver questions, leaning against the balcony.

Zoey shakes her head. She didn't want to tell him. "It doesn't matter."

Oliver bumps her hip with his hip. "How am I supposed to kick his ass if I don't know what I'm doing it for?"

Tears fill her eyes. "If I tell you, you'll hate me too," Zoey whispers.

Oliver frowns. "Zoey, I promise there's nothing you could say that would ever make me hate you."

Zoey bites her lip. "I…I…I fucked Lex," she softly confesses.

Oliver stares at her. There was no way he heard her right. "You fucked Lex," he repeats. She nods. "Bald, giant asshole Lex Luthor?" She nods once more, confirming that she did sleep with Lex. "Well, I can see why Bruce dumped you. When?"

"A week before senior prom," Zoey tells him. She then launches into the story of how Lex was split into two versions of himself: a good version and an evil one. She tells him of going to visit evil Lex without knowing what had happened; of how she had made evil Lex angry and the money he threw at her.

"I hope you at least kept the cash," Oliver says, pulling Zoey back into the penthouse.

"I threw it back at him, said fuck you, and left," Zoey replies, pulling her sweater close. She shifts. "You…you don't hate me?"

"Like I said, Zo, there's nothing that could ever make me hate you." Oliver reaches up and brushes away a tear. "Do you want me to kick Bruce's and Lex's asses for you?"

Zoey shakes her head. While she thought it was sweet that Oliver wanted to defend her like that, she didn't want anything to happen to Bruce. She didn't want Oliver to get in trouble. She's unsure of whether or not to tell Oliver about the ring she had found. She shifts. "Is it okay if I stay here for a while," she quietly asks.

"The guest room is all yours, Zo," Oliver tells her with a smile. He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the island that separates the kitchen and living room. "I got us breakfast."

"Is it from that coffee shop you really like," Zoey asks, sitting down at the kitchen counter. "The vegan one?"

Oliver grins and she can't help but smile back at him. "It's my favorite shop."

Oliver flops down on the couch. Zoey was curled up and watching TV. Since she had shown up at his door two months earlier, she hadn't left his apartment. She hadn't even done anything for her nineteenth birthday, which had been the week prior. She had been hiding out the entire time. And he didn't blame her. The press couldn't be relentless at times. But the tabloid pictures he had seen of Bruce being cozy with a tall brunette at a frat party had made Oliver determined to get Zoey out of the penthouse for her birthday. He places a box in front of her face. "Open it," he tells her.

Zoey shoots him an annoyed look and sits up. She opens the box to find a dark red long-sleeved dress inside of it. "Oliver," she softly says.

"Look, Zo, the whole world knows that you and Bruce broke up," Oliver begins. "And tabloids are publishing all the photos are him making out with random sorority girls."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better," Zoey asks. "Because it doesn't."

"You need to show the world and Bruce, but mostly the world, that you're fine."

"Except I'm not fine."

"But no one else needs to know that. So, you're going to put on that dress and those heels I know you still have from Monte Carlo and you're going out with me. Tonight."

Zoey sighs. "Ollie…you're not going leave alone unless I go out with you, are you?"

Oliver smiles. "I'll just get more annoying about it."

"Fine."

Tommy Meryln was handsome. There was no doubt about that. He had spiky dark hair, dark blue eyes, and a beard. His hand was currently resting on Zoey's knee. She had no idea where Oliver had disappeared. She hadn't seen him since they arrived at the club. "So, you're officially single now," Tommy says into her ear so she can hear him over the loud music.

Zoey's not sure if it's the alcohol or something else. "I am," she tells him.

"Good," Tommy says before pulling her into a kiss. His bread is scratchy against her skin. He grabs her legs and pulls her close; her legs drape over his. His hand rests on her thigh, just under the bottom of her dress. Zoey rests a hand on his chest. His lips trail across her jaw.

"I feel like you should at least buy me dinner first," Zoey breathes, leaning into Tommy's touch.

"Baby, I'll buy you whatever you want," Tommy replies then kisses her once more. Zoey can't help the giggle that escapes. His hand slides under her dress.

The lights in the club suddenly come on. The music stops. "SCPD, this is a raid!"

Tommy pulls back. Zoey looks around the club in confusion. Police officers were everywhere. Tommy stands up and pulls her up. "We need to go," he tells her, grabbing her hand.

"Stop right there." Tommy and Zoey turn to see a man wearing a bulletproof vest. Zoey vaguely recognized him. The man grabs Zoey's arm and turns her around.

"Let her go, Lance," Tommy says, taking a step forward. Tommy knew who the man was.

"Zoey Carmichael," the man says, pulling Zoey's arms behind her back. He completely ignores Tommy. "You're under arrest."

Zoey's eyes widen. "For what?"

"Underage drinking."

Zoey shifts. She had been sitting in the interrogation room for hours. No one had come in to talk to her. She just knew that if she had just been arrested for underage drinking, then she would have been released already. The door opens. She turns to see the man who arrested her walking with another man. "All right, Miss York," the man says, sitting down in front of her. "You're going to tell us everything you know about the Green Arrow."

Zoey looks between them, confused. "What?"

The man in front of her opens a file folder and drops a picture in front of her. It was from years ago when Green Arrow had saved her after she was mugged. "You are going to tell us everything you know about the Green Arrow."

"I don't know why you would think I would know anything, Officer—"

"Detective Lance," the man corrects. He motions to the other man in the room. "That's Detective Hilton."

"Look, detectives, I don't know anything about the Green Arrow," Zoey tells them. She shifts. "I'd like to call my lawyer." Detective Lance stares at her for a moment, then storms out of the room.

Detective Hilton grabs her arm. "Come on. Let's go call your lawyer."

Detective Hilton leads Zoey out of the room. "What the fuck, Lance," a voice shouts. Zoey turns to see Oliver. "Zo! Zo, are you okay?"

"Oliver," Zoey loudly replies, trying to get out of Hilton's grasp. "Ollie!"

"Mind your fucking business," Lance snaps, pushing Oliver behind the wooded desk that sat at the entrance of the bullpen. "Unless you've somehow become a fucking lawyer then you can't talk to her."

Oliver glares at Detective Lance before turning his gaze to Zoey. She shoots him a smile before she's shoved into a room. Detective Hilton motions to a phone. "Call your lawyer," he says, slamming the door shut.

Max runs a hand through his hair. This was the last thing he had ever expected to deal with. He opens the door to Oliver's penthouse and walks in with Zoey right behind him. "Zo," Oliver says, jumping up from the couch. He quickly walks over to them. "Zo, are you okay?"

Zoey punches Oliver in the shoulder. "I have a criminal record now because of you," she snaps. "And a mugshot."

"She's fine," Max says answering Oliver's question. "Your criminal record, Zoey, is a misdemeanor for underage drinking. I paid the fine. Nothing I can do about the mugshot."

"I think you look cute in it," Oliver says, holding up that day's edition of the Star City Observer.

Zoey rips the paper out of his grasp. On the front page was her mugshot. She smacks Oliver with the paper. "This is all your fault."

"How is it my fault?"

"You made me go to that stupid club with you."

"I didn't make you go."

"You said you just annoy me until I left the house."

"You two need to shut up," Max snaps. Zoey jumps. She backs into Oliver, who places a comforting hand on her back. "We have a much bigger problem and his name is Detective Quinten Lance."

"I'll deal with Lance," Oliver says.

"No. He'll keep going after Zoey until he gets what he wants."

"Then I'll just go the farm," Zoey says. "He can't arrest me in Smallville."

Max shakes his head. "Those are just temporary fixes." He grabs the newspaper from Zoey and flips through it until he finds an article. He drops it on the kitchen island. It was talking about Green Arrow's latest exploits a couple of nights before. "Oliver is Green Arrow."

Zoey shrugs. "Yeah, I know."

Oliver nods. "You've known, what, two years now," he questions Zoey. She nods in agreement. "You were seriously going to tell her."

"I wasn't going to keep lying to her," Max argues. "Especially with Lance sniffing around."

Zoey frowns. "Wait. How you do know, Uncle Max?"

"I figured it out after bailing captain genius out of jail," Max tells her. "Lance believes that Oliver is Green Arrow and he's going after anyone that he believes may know."

"So, why is this detective focused on me? Why not you?"

"He can't touch me due to attorney-client privilege. Because not only am I your attorney, Zoey. I'm also Oliver's." Max shakes his head. "I can't believe I'm going to suggest this. But there may be a way for Lance to leave Zoey alone."

"Let's hear it," Oliver says.

Max closes his eyes. "You two can get married."

Zoey looks between Max and Oliver. "What?" She looks up at Oliver who seemed just as confused as she was. "What?"

"Spousal privilege," Max clarifies.

"You think that would work," Oliver questions.

"It would make him back down for a while. If he wanted to talk to Zoey he would have to find evidence that she is actively involved."

Oliver looks at Zoey. "What do you say?"

"I…I…I…" Zoey trails off. She had no idea what to say. "Okay. I guess."

"This was not how I pictured planning your wedding," Max mutters. "I'll start getting—"

"We need this to look like it's spontaneous," Oliver interrupts, grabbing Zoey's hand. He had a glimmer in his eye. "We're going to Vegas."

There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' the devil may care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare, so
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas