The Rise of Athena (An Arrow: Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: Ice-Cream and An Attack On the Side

Laurel Lance sat in a chair, her laptop on the desk, scrolling through it, music playing. All of a sudden, she heard a knock on her door. She ignored it at first. Then the patient knock came again, and she trailed her way to the door. Opening it, she saw Oliver standing there with a brown paper bag in his hand. 

'Hi. Are you okay? There are two cop cars outside,' he said with a concerned look on his face and in his voice. 

'How am I supposed to stay away from you if you won't stay away from me?' she asked, a clearly unimpressed look on her face. 

'I...' he began to say, but was cut off by Laurel. 

'What are you doing here, Ollie?' 

'My sister took... she pointed out to me that I have been distant since I got back and that... it would probably be a good idea if I let someone in.' 

'So, you thought you'd start with the first person you pushed away.' 

'I did that to protect you. And then I saw you yesterday, and I realised that I hurt you.' She sighed, then stepped aside, letting him into her apartment. 'Thank you,' he said quietly, and stepped in. She shut the door behind him. They walked around the apartment, Oliver looking around in awe. He chuckled softly. 'Wow. This place hasn't changed in five years.' 

'I haven't really had time to redecorate,' she replied, keeping her frustration under. Oliver could still sense it, though. 

'I'm a jerk,' he admitted. 'Before the island, I was a jerk. And now I'm just a... damaged jerk.' 

'What's in the bag?' He waved the bag near her. 

'I thought about many things on the island, but there was one thing that I thought about every day. I actually dreamed about it, and I promised myself that if I ever got a chance to do it again, I'd do it with you.' He held up a tub of ice-cream. 'Eat ice-cream.' 

The two of them sat in her apartment, her on the chair, him on the floor. He put his bowl down, still half-full of ice-cream. 

'You know, Evelyn will hate you for the fact that you didn't get her ice-cream.' 

'It's alright. She has plenty. Plus, she was sleeping when I left.' There was a small silence. 'This is as good as I remember. My mother wants me to join the company.' She smirked. 'Yeah. Take my rightful place.' 

'I can't exactly picture you as master of the universe.' 

'You know, after five years, I have plans. I have things that I have to do. I can't do that if I... I don't know... attending board meetings and stockholder briefings.' 

'Oliver? You're an adult. You can say no.' 

'Oh, I tried. Didn't take.' 

'Well, then don't tell her. Show her. Be the person that you want her to see you as. Trust me. I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents.' 

'I have been on the receiving end of your father's disapproval.'

'He blames himself more than he blames you. He thinks that, you know, maybe if he and Sara were closer, she would have told him about the boat trip. And he could have stopped her from going with you.' 

'I'm sorry.' 

'You apologised already.' 

'And it'll never be enough.' Just then there was a thud. Oliver's head snapped up. 'Did you hear that?'

'What?' Laurel asked. Oliver grabbed a butter knife and stood. 

'There's someone on the fire escape.'

'Wh-what?' He grabbed Laurel's hand and started to run with her. 

'Hey, come on... come on!' he yelled at her. The two ran for the door, but a man in all black burst through with a machine gun. Oliver pulled her the other way. The man started to fire the gun, making Laurel scream and panic. Yet another man burst in through Laurel's bedroom window. A woman came in, with her fists up. Just then the sound of a gun fired, and one of the men fell. The real fight began as the woman knocked Diggle's gun away and they continued to fight. Oliver left Laurel and went into the kitchen, seeking a knife. He grabbed the knife and threw it at the woman, who was about to stab Diggle. The knife was knocked away and the woman ran away. Laurel rushed into Oliver's arms. Diggle stood, putting away his gun. 

'Are you hurt?'

'No,' Oliver replied. 

'Are you hurt, Mr. Queen?' he yelled. 

'No! No.' 

'This is why it's a good idea to have a bodyguard.' Sirens could be heard from outside. 

                                                                         -Time skip-

Oliver tossed a towel to Diggle. He stood and walked after Oliver in the hallways of the mansion. 

'I'd say thank you,' Oliver spoke, 'but I don't think that would cover it.' 

'Well, like I told your cop friend, I was just doing my job. Besides, I think it should be you that I'm thanking.' Oliver stopped and turned around, feigning confusion. 

'What for?'

'The knife.' 

'The knife,' he said, feigning forgetfulness. 'I got lucky.' 

'That was a kitchen knife. It wasn't even weighted properly, yet you threw it with accuracy across a ten-foot room.' 

'Exactly,' replied Oliver, trying to skirt away from the truth, 'I got lucky.' 

'I'm not the kind of man you want to take for a fool, Mr. Queen. You understand me?'

'Yes.' 

'And I think I'm just beginning to understand the kind of man you are.'

'Shouldn't take you very long. I'm shallow. And very tired, so... goodnight.' Diggle only smirked in response. 

'Good-night, sir.'