You Found Me: An Arrow Fanfic

Chapter 13

Christ!

Slade glared at his son, shocked at his bold admission. That was not how he'd envisioned their reunion. In fact, that was not at all what they'd discussed was going to be said.

"Joe!" he admonished, while chancing a look at Laurel's face to gauge her reaction.

She looked stunned, her mouth hanging open as her gaze moved from his son to him. Their eyes met and his breath hitched at the back of his throat. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her glorious mane of hair tumbling down her back and shoulders, her green eyes wide with astonishment.

"What?" Joe asked nonchalantly. "Isn't that what you told me?" He appeared all innocence, but Slade knew better.

He prayed for patience. "No, it's not," he refuted out of the corner of his mouth. The little scamp had the audacity to grin at him as though he hadn't just dropped a bomb.

Ignoring his offspring for a moment he looked at the woman who still hadn't said a word.

"Hi," he said, feeling a little awkward.

She gave him a small smile. "Hi."

The silence stretched as Joe looked from one to the other, rolling his eyes.

"I'm Joe," he said, extending his hand.

Slade remembered his manners. At the same time he realized that he hadn't ever had any before he met Laurel. The thought made him want to laugh.

"This kid who happens to say the most inappropriate things is, as he's stated, my son, Joe," he placed a hand on a thin shoulder.

He watched as Laurel's gaze swung back to the boy, her eyes softening. She stepped toward him and bent forward slightly, holding out her hand.

"Hello, Joe. I'm really excited to finally meet you." She gave the boy a beaming smile and he had to stomp on the smidgen of jealousy that cropped up within him. Get a grip!

Joe grasped her hand and shook it firmly. "I've heard a lot about you," he smiled in return. "You're just as pretty as my Dad said."

Slade watched as a blush spread across her cheeks. "Thank you. You're quite a handsome guy yourself," she teased.

He laughed. "Dad says I'm too young to have a girlfriend. But chicks dig me."

Laurel laughed and Slade rolled his eyes. "Step aside, young man. That's enough from you."

He shifted a little, blocking Joe from her view.

"Could we talk, please?" he asked softly.

She nodded and he got the impression that she was nervous. "Come inside." She opened the door wider.

Picking up their bags, he walked in and noticed an older man standing at the lounge table reading a paper. He must have heard their approach because he looked up. Surprise was the first thing Slade recognized. The next was fury.

"You!" Quentin Lance growled.

Laurel stepped forward just before her father butted chests with him. "Dad! Stop it!"

Her father pointed a finger at him. "You ruined my little girl. Do you have any idea how you've hurt her?" The older man was right up in his face.

"Mr. Lance, if you'd let me explain-" Slade started, remaining calm.

"Dad!" Laurel exclaimed.

Quentin didn't even stop talking. "Which brings me back to how you two met! What were you thinking placing my girl in danger like that? I ought to have you thrown in jail for," he ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I don't know what, but I'm sure I could come up with something! You used her and then you ran off, not knowing what a good thing you had. Now you're back? What the hell for?!"