When you disappear for four years you expect things to change, Oliver Queen just didn't realize how much it could change. Even though this has happened to him before. So at least he has a clue, right?
If only Black Canary hadn't gone missing wi...
She froze, and he heard her sharp intake of a breath. She turned slowly, head moving first, then her shoulders, then her upper body, followed by her fully facing him. The baby blue eyes he always got lost in, widening in shock. Her hand reached up to cover the mouth, open in surprise, that he felt like kissing. A stray lock had fallen from its spot of being tucked behind her ear.
She was even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her.
"Ollie?" Her hand trailed down her face, coming to rest just below her neck.
All he wanted to do in that moment was to scoop her up in an embrace and kiss her to the end of time. But here he was, bow drawn back, aimed at her.
Her eyes darted in disbelief. "Your alive?" Her voice was just above a whisper.
Furiously blinking to keep those tears back, he choked out, "Why did you leave, Dinah?"
She paused, lacking words, her eyes filled with a pleading sadness. He was easing the bow back to its rest position, knowing it was just a waste of strength and energy keeping it drawn.
"Why?"
He watched as she squared her shoulders, drew herself up to her full height, drawing strength from within herself, and drew in breath to answer.
"Mommy?"
Dinah swiveled around, as Oliver shifted, looking over toward the voice. As he watched, a little girl padded out of the shadows.
She had golden waves with little ringlets framing her face. She was dressed in light green pajamas, and clutched a teddy bear. She couldn't be older than three or four.
"Mommy? Who are you taking to?" She gave a small yawn and rubbed at her eye, looking up in confusion at the two adults standing in the entrance to the house.
Dinah dropped down to the little girl's level. "Sweetie, what are you doing up?"
"I heard you talking" Another small yawn. "Who are you talking to?"
"I'll tell you in the morning okay?" He could hear the smile in her voice. "I need you to back to bed now."
The little girl's face screwed up with uncertainty, not wanting to leave her mother alone with the stranger.
"I'll come in to tuck you in again in a little bit," she promised the little girl.
In resignation, the little girl flung her arms around Dinah and then turned, melting into the shadows. The soft sound of a door shutting was heard, and Dinah rose to face him again. His bow was put up, a longing expression on his face. Who was that little girl? How did she connect to this mess that was now his life.
"Is it really you?" Dinah reached out her hand to touch his face, pulling back, biting her lip, before she actually touched him.
"Yes."
Tears pooled in her eyes. "I thought you were dead."
"Just lost in space."
A soft smile graced her face, as she shook slightly, breath trembling.
"Dinah. Who is she? That little girl, who is she?"
Dinah stared at the floor, eventually raising her eyes to meet his. Dinah's voice was so quiet he almost missed what she said. "She's your daughter."
Disbelief raged, but it all made sense.
About three years old. With wavy, blond hair. Also reminding him of pictures of Dinah at a similar age. 'Just please,' he thought. 'Don't have named her Dinah.' He didn't think he could handle a third Dinah, even with Dinah's mother being spelled Dina.
That was when it really sunk in.
He had a daughter.
Sure he thought of his protégés as his kids, several of them even called him Dad, but that little girl was his. His and Dinah's. Something, some one that they had created, just the two of them.
"What's her name?"
"Olivia."
He looked at Dinah in surprise. He remembered suggesting the name Olivia, as a joke mostly, when a conversation had turned to the possibility of have kids beyond the ones they had adopted, but that had been years before he had left on that mission.
"It's the feminine form of yours."
" How are you alive, Ollie? The League... " she trailed off.
"Got it wrong." He reached up and pulled off his mask, his green eyes meeting her blue ones for the first time in too long, far too long. "The ship was hit, and we crashed. The ship was wrecked. It took us until two weeks ago to even get back to League space."
"Why did you leave without trace, Dinah?"
She refused look at him, "I should go check on Olivia."
"Dinah, please don't avoid this." He reached to put a hand on her shoulder.
She pulled away, insisting that, "I need to go check on Olivia." With that she walked out of the room.
She was avoiding talking about it, but this was not something he was going drop. He seen the affect of her leaving had left on their other kids. At least, she did think of them as hers.
Didn't she?
He followed her, pausing in the door way into the room that was Olivia's. In the room, he could see Dinah. She was kneeling next to the bed, her hand brushing over the little girl's golden hair as she slept. Dinah leaned in, and kissed Olivia's forehead. She rose, looking back at the small form. She didn't realize Oliver was standing in the doorway until she nearly ran into him. They both took a step back after their near collision.
"Sorry," they both said at the same time. Dinah smiled at him, with a small smile that he couldn't help but return.
"Ollie."
He gave her all of his attention as she started to speak.
"I know you want an explanation, and you deserve one too. But, could it please wait till morning?" She was begging in a way that he had never really been able to say no to.
"Sure." It could wait till morning, but in the morning he was bringing Dinah and Olivia home. He turned to leave through the door to outside that was still ajar.
"Wait."
He paused as she called out to him.
"Ollie, could you stay here? I... I've been away from you for too long."
How could possibly he say no to the same sentiments that his heart screamed?
"Of course."
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