Disclaimer: see part one.

Part Eight

Oliver sat at his desk in City Hall. He was getting caught up on paperwork from his short vacation, or at least he was trying to. His mind kept wandering to the Siren. She'd left the men once they broke free of their restraints and they hadn't been able to find her since. Oliver wanted to apologize to her, to explain why he couldn't take the deal even though part of him truly wanted to. He wanted a chance to understand why he was so drawn to her, even if she wasn't the Laurel he'd lost. But it didn't look like he'd ever get the opportunity.

His melancholy thoughts were interrupted by his secretary, who informed him he had a visitor. Oliver was more than moderately surprised when the Siren walked into his office in her black wig and tinted glasses. He stood but didn't move around his desk.

"Laur– I'm sorry, do you prefer Tina? What are your doing here?" Oliver was grateful the door to his office had shut before his surprise became evident.

"I needed some time to think on my own; figure out where I go from here. I may not have gotten my memories back from Sonus, but I am free of him. And I realized, even though I don't know who I am, I know I want to help people," she explained as she walked closer to him, still studying him. "What I'm trying to say is, if that offer to join your team is still good, I'd like to take it."

"Of course, yes. It's yours," Oliver stammered.

He finally moved around his desk to stand in front of the siren. She smiled at him and the power of that grin, directed solely at him, nearly brought him to his knees. He offered her a handshake and a welcome to the team.

"I want to apologize. I wanted to take Sonus's offer, for you, but I couldn't betray my city," he said, trying to distract himself from the hold her hand had on his entire being.

"I understood and I wouldn't ask you to," she replied and then gently extracted her hand from his. Looking up at him from under her eyelashes as she did so – she wasn't immune to the attraction between them either.

"Sonus is still out there. If he's the best chance of getting your memories back, I'll help you catch him and force his hand," Oliver promised. She hit him with another megawatt smile.

"Thank you. . . I don't know why, but you're the first person I've really connected with since I woke up. Maybe it's because you understood why I wanted to be free of Sonus, but you make me feel less alone, and I'd like to get to know you better … as a friend."

"I'd like that too."

"There's just one thing, going forward. Please don't call me Laurel or Tina."

"Okay, what would you like me to call you?"

"Dinah, Dinah Drake. It's the name I found on my ID when I woke up and it's kind of grown on me," she grinned awkwardly.

"I can do that, Dinah," he smiled encouragingly at her. He didn't ask if she knew that was Laurel's first name. It didn't matter.

Whether she was his Laurel or not, they weren't going to find out any time soon. So, he would get to know the woman that existed before him now. She wasn't Laurel in many ways, but she had similarities to the love he'd lost. His head and his heart agreed she was worth the risk. He'd been given a second chance with Dinah and he wasn't going to screw this up.

A/N: And that's a wrap for 5 x 11, but I know where this story goes for the rest of season 5 and into 6. IF enough people ask for more, I'll get to writing the sequel as soon as I finish Wed to the Mask. To all who've read and reviewed, a big thank you! And thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story - you all make me smile.