Lauriver Chronicles

Chapter 120

The Barracks hummed with quiet energy, the kind that came from routine, from trust, from a team that had learned to breathe in sync.

In the sparring room, the sharp crack of escrima sticks echoed off the walls.

Oliver ducked under John's swing, pivoting low and sweeping his leg. John jumped, landed, and countered with a jab to Oliver's ribs. They moved like old soldiers — no wasted motion, no hesitation. Just rhythm.

"You're distracted," John said between strikes.

Oliver didn't answer. He just swung harder.

"Can you blame me? Every day that passes, we get closer to the birth of the twins." Oliver said.

"True, but Oliver, they're not due for another four months." John said as they continued sparring.

"That doesn't comfort me. The only thing that does is the fact that Laurel's agreed to hang up her mask and by that I mean lock up her suit and its travel ring until after she's cleared for action." Oliver said, since Laurel was currently resting at home with her mother and Jasmine keeping her company, after Laurel had forced Oliver to come here, since according to her, he was becoming annoyingly hovering the closer her due date arrived and it was still months away. She'd understood his apprehension at first, since he'd missed her first pregnancy with Jasmine and he wanted to be there for her this time. And while she understood and appreciated that, he was driving her crazy. Especially since he'd had Cisco and Curtis install metahuman power dampeners all over their house to keep her from using her powers by accident because of her pregnancy and as a precaution in the event any of their kids developed powers.

"She's planning on returning to the field for both Team Arrow and the Justice League after the baby's born?" John asked as Oliver ducked to avoid his stick strike.

"Wouldn't hear a word against it, especially since she already made the argument that she's already a mother to Jasmine while she's the Black Canary, though she admits that having newborns will make things harder. It helps that her mom already knows and so does mine and she should be back in the country by then." Oliver said.

"Have you guys thought about any names yet?" John asked as jumped slightly over one of Oliver's strikes.

"Well, since it's a boy and a girl, we decided that each of us gets to pick a name. Laurel's naming our son and she's decided that his name will be Robert Quentin Queen. After both our fathers." Oliver said.

"Really, I was under the impression your old man wasn't exactly the best role model." John said.

"Oh he wasn't, but he was still my dad and I still started this crusade initially to honor his memory and now I can honor it another way." Oliver said.

"So I guess that means you're picking your daughter's name?" John asked.

"Yeah, I am." Oliver said absently as they continued.

"Well, don't leave me hanging man." John said.

"Sorry. I'm thinking Evelyn Abigail Queen. After my mother's mother and Laurel's best friend, since Laurel made it clear that she doesn't want to name any of our kids Dinah, if she did, Jasmine's first name would be Dinah, but she's always hated having the same first name as her mom, so we agreed that any daughters we have would have their own names." Oliver said.

"It's a nice name." John said, right as Oliver paused their session, since something didn't seem right.

Thea and Helena were currently in the range, having a shooting contest, Thea firing arrows from her bow while Helena fired bolts from her crossbow.