My Arrow Reboot

Chapter 5

Oliver drew in a deep breath as Laurel closed the door to her apartment behind him. Laurel could see in Oliver's eyes that he thought about denying it, but he didn't. Instead he asked, "When did you figure it out... How?" 

"Ollie, I'm a lawyer, a prosecutor for the most part, so I chase the truth. When you came to me about Peter Declan, I started actively gathering evidence to figure who the vigilante was. But to tell you the truth, I was sure of who you were in the jailhouse riot" 

"How?" Oliver asked. 

"The look in your eyes... I knew that look and I knew those eyes... yours" Laurel said. 

"So you've known all this time... and you didn't say anything" Oliver said.

"I was kind of waiting for you to tell me, Ollie" Laurel admitted. 

"There are so many times that I almost told you... but then I thought about you and William, and the less you knew, the better protected the two of you were" Oliver explained. 

"So, does this mean that you fought off The Hoods all on your own?" Laurel asked.

"No, I had some help" Oliver said. "When I came back from the island and became The Hood, I had plans to fight this fight on my own, but I met people with the same goals and after so long being alone, I-- I thought I would be better off not alone". 

Laurel placed a hand on Oliver's cheek. "I never want you to feel alone, Oliver". The two of them stood there for a minute, without saying  a word before Laurel took a step back. "What you have been doing, is it gonna continue?"

"I was gonna hang up the Hood. But after being kidnapped, after listening to those men, even if they were deranged, I realized that I can't. Before my father died, he told me that he was a contributor to poisoning Starling City and he told me that I was to survive whatever came next and right his wrongs. Everything I did leading up The Undertaking, that was just the beginning. Now I see that there is so much more work to be done. But I can't do it the way I was" Oliver said. 

"What are you gonna do differently?" Laurel asked. 

"I don't- I can't be the killer that I once was... I used to see nothing wrong with playing the judge, the jury, and executioner. But, William..."

"What about him?" Laurel asked with concern. 

"If William was to ever think of me as a murderer... the way... the way Tommy did" Oliver said.

"Tommy knew your secret?" Laurel asked. 

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna tell him, but the situation was desperate" Oliver said. 

"So I was not the only thing that came between the two of you" Laurel said, looking down. 

"No" Oliver said. 

"Oliver, I'm sorry" Laurel said. 

"Why, you don't have to apologize?"

"It feels that way, I shouldn't have gotten in bed with Tommy... In doing so, I hurt my two best friends" Laurel said.

"Laurel don't-" Laurel cut Oliver off. 

"I was thinking of how much you hurt me, Oliver, but even though I loved him, I can't deny that part of being with Tommy, a small part, it felt good to hurt you". After a moment of silence, Laurel said. "So, The Hood, who is he now?"

"Think a name change is  a good start" Oliver said

"Maybe The Arrow?" It sounds good" Laurel said.