Home: An Arrow Fanfic

Chapter 6

Showered and dressed, Oliver felt marginally better. He knew that he owed Diggle an apology. He'd flown off the handle when it had not been deserved. The investigation was heading in an uncomfortable direction and added to that was his sudden awareness of Felicity. The latter, rather than the former, is what put him on edge.

He was used to being in control of his emotions – especially where women were concerned. He called the shots; he handled relationships on his terms. With Felicity, it was different. She challenged him when others chose to remain silent. She also had this uncanny ability to make him laugh; to take himself less seriously.

Still not prepared to sort through his traitorous feelings, Oliver set out to find Tommy who he eventually found signing for crates of beverages that had just been delivered.

"Everything here?" he asked casually.

Tommy gave him a cool glance before refocusing his attention to his clip board. "Yeah, all here."

"Tommy, could we talk?"

"Kinda busy."

"Please."

Dropping his pen on the clip board with more emphasis than what was required, he looked at Oliver expectantly.

"I…Look, I know we haven't exactly been getting along lately-"

Anger flared in Tommy's eyes. "Not getting along? That's what how you'd categorise the result of you lying to me for months?"

Oliver prayed for patience. "I'm sorry. Nothing I say seems to appease your anger towards me. I'd like the opportunity to explain things to you, if you'd give me a hearing."

Tommy slammed the clip board down on the bar counter. The club was empty since the staff would only be arriving in a few hours. "Explain? You want to explain to me how you became a murderer? How you're nothing like the person I thought you were? Why you chose to lie to me about it?"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"I'm a grown man, Oliver! I don't need your protection and I certainly never asked for it!"

Oliver bit down on his back teeth to keep from losing his temper. "I know that finding out about me the way you did must have come as a shock. There are things-" He tried again. "Those five years on that island was the toughest thing I've ever been through. Not because I was stranded, but because I had to do things I never thought I'd have to in order to survive."

"So, what? That excuses the fact that you now kill people in your spare time?"

"It's not as simple as you make it seem!" Oliver snapped.

"Last time I checked, murder didn't really have much of a grey area!" He grabbed his things off the counter. "You know what? I can't do this right now. I don't know who you are anymore and I certainly can't trust a word that comes out of your mouth. For the sake of this business venture," he gestured to the area around them, "let's keep things professional. I won't divulge your secret. Just stay out of my life."

He walked away. "Tommy! Tommy, wait! Dammit!" Oliver cursed as he watched his best friend's retreating figure. He slammed his hands down on the bar counter in frustration as his phoned buzzed. It was a text from Felicity.

"ME REPORT'S BACK."

Taking a last look in the direction Tommy disappeared in, Oliver walked back toward the basement.

"What you got?" Oliver asked.

Felicity sensed that his mood was even worse than it was before. "Uh, says here that Croft died as a result of his injuries. Three arrows to the heart."