Disclaimers: I've never read the Green Arrow comics, I'm basing my characterizations here solely on the television show. Speaking of the television show, I don't own it :-( which I am super-sad about. If I did own Arrow, Stephen Amell would be contractually obligated to do yard work around my house whilst wearing the vigilante outfit. Alas, life is full of disappointment.

Author's Note: I thought I'd put my own personal Oliver/Laurel-loving spin on the end of Ep. 10 "Burned". Here goes nothing . . .

Laurel sat at her desk, head bent in an attempt at concentration as she poured over the depositions for the Campbell trial next week. It was well past eleven o'clock at night, and with the benefit fire the night before and the dryness of the material in front of her, she was finding it hard to keep herself focused. Picking up a pen, she twirled it absent-mindedly between her fingers as her eyes once again drifted away from the text in front of her and off into space.

Oliver had been perched outside Laurel's apartment on the fire escape for several minutes now, observing her as she worked (or tried to, at any rate). He couldn't help but smile at the way her brow crinkled in annoyance as she looked down at the files in front of her, struggling to maintain her interest. Laurel was one of the most focused and driven people he'd ever met, it served her very well in the courtroom. Unfortunately, there was a downside to that singular focus - when something was bothering her, she just couldn't seem to let it go, it consumed all of her energy. With Danny's murder solved and his killer gone, Oliver couldn't help but wonder what was troubling Laurel tonight.

Sighing loudly Laurel stood, rubbing her neck with her hand as she rocked back and forth on her heels, stretching her legs as the pins and needles from sitting too long stabbed angrily at her limbs. She walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water, more out of habit than of actual thirst. Too anxious to even pretend to think about her depositions anymore, she slid herself up onto the counter, letting her feet dangle as she leaned her head back against the cabinet, closing her eyes momentarily.

Oliver watched as she twisted the cap in irritation, tossing it into the trash and taking several long sips from the container. He found himself again contemplating what could have Laurel so out-of-sorts right now. He couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled several all-night study sessions when she was an under-grad that had resulted in very little actual studying due mainly to his very distracting presence.

Oliver allowed himself a moment of self-pity, wondering if Laurel ever thought about those days fondly . . . or even at all really. Then again, why would she? She was with Tommy now. Oliver felt a pang of guilt at the realization that he was almost hoping Tommy was the source of her restlessness, the idea that they were having problems making Oliver happier than it should have. He knew he had been a shitty boyfriend to Laurel and a pretty poor friend to Tommy, the truth was that they both deserved better than him. If they'd found that with each other, Oliver had no right to complain.

In the kitchen, Laurel set the half-empty bottle beside her on the counter, running both hands through her hair and bringing them to rest at the base of her skull, massaging gently where she could feel a pounding tension headache already beginning to build.

If she was being honest with herself, only a small part of her distraction tonight was fatigue-related from the fire; the remaining majority was hood-related. Laurel had made a promise to Joanna - that she would deliver Danny's badge to The Hood. Laurel always kept her promises, so she'd called him earlier this evening and asked to see him. In truth however, Laurel had her own motivation for wanting the meeting, and those reasons were what had her on-edge right now.

Oliver watched as Laurel rubbed her neck, rolling it from side to side slowly, trying to release the tension she was carrying there. He still knew her so well, he could still read her like a book. Oliver understood on a rational and logical level why he and Laurel could never work; even if they managed to move past their painful past, as long as he was forced to lie to her about his extracurricular activities in the present, he would only end up hurting her once again. And the thought of causing Laurel one more moment of pain, was what stopped him any time he foolishly considered confessing his feelings, times like right now when he watched her in silence. It was ironic that Diggle had become his confidante because in his heart, Laurel was the one person Oliver really wanted to know the truth. He wanted her to know that Sarah's death had meant something, that all the pain he'd caused hadn't been for nothing, that it had changed him into someone strong enough to fight to make Starling City a better place.

Oliver shook his head, banishing the unwelcome thoughts. None of that mattered now though, all he could do was keep the people he loved safe with his presence or his absence, depending on the situation. Satisfied that Detective Lance did not have a trap set in Laurel's apartment, and deciding that their was a fine-line between "making a cautious approach" and "spying creepily on an ex", Oliver moved from his crouched position, pulling the hood over his head and slipping quietly through Laurel's previously-locked window.

Before Laurel could fall any deeper into her own ruminations, her apartment lights flickered momentarily before casting the whole place into darkness. The only light remaining was that of the moon streaming in through her open curtains, casting a dim pall. As a result, Laurel sensed him before she actually saw him. As her eyes struggled to adjust, she noticed a shadowy presence to her right, standing only a few feet away in the threshold of the kitchen door. If she feared him, it would have been unnerving to realize how close he could approach before she became aware of his presence, but Laurel wasn't scared of The Hood, not anymore.

"You needed to see me?" He inquired, his voice mechanically distorted

"Thank you for coming" she answered, sliding down off the counter and back onto the floor.

"Are you alright?" Oliver couldn't help but ask (although The Hood wasn't typically one for pleasantries), noting the crease in her brow.

"I have something for you" Laurel answered, walking toward her desk.

Laurel moved to brush past him in the threshold of the kitchen door, but The Hood stepped back, turning away as she passed, keeping his visage obscured to her. Laurel opened her top desk drawer, pulling out Danny's badge. Moving back to where he waited, she stood closer than was strictly necessary, holding the box in her out-stretched hand.

"Danny's mother wanted you to have this" she explained, her eyes watching him like a hawk as he turned slightly to take the case.

Oliver's gloves made prolonged contact with Laurel's fingertips as she held just a little too tightly to the velvet box before releasing it, pulling him slightly toward her. Laurel was behaving strangely, he could feel a difference in her energy, a difference in the current between them. Oliver resisted the urge to meet her eyes, to try to read her motivation, instead keeping his head down and turning away from her as he opened the box.

"This belongs with the family" he answered, his voice catching in his throat slightly at the meaning behind the gesture.

Oliver couldn't help but find it a little sad that Danny's family would never realize how their son had helped The Hood far more than The Hood had helped him, how Danny had helped him find his way back to his path during a time when he was lost. And then there was Laurel, who had always appealed to the better man hidden deep inside of him, helping him a hundred times before the island when he was lost, her memory keeping him steady on the island, standing beside him now, only a hair's-breadth away, her voice soft and reassuring, every fiber of his being screaming for him to reach out to her.

"It belongs with the man who gave Danny's family closure" she whispered certainly, reaching out to pat his shoulder tentatively "It belongs with the man who saved four other firefighters in that squad from being killed tonight"

Oliver resisted the urge to lean into her touch, to linger in it's warmth, instead closing the box with an resounding "snap" and taking several steps toward the window.

Laurel took a deep breath, steadying her nerves - it was now or never.

"There's something else" she said desperately, following him across the room, afraid he would disappear too quickly as he so often did.

The Hood did not turn, nor did he speak, but he did not leave either, so Laurel kept talking.

"I broke up with Tommy last night" she revealed, her heart pounding.

Oliver was surprised at her words; surprised that his jealous imaginings could possibly be true, surprised that she would be telling a total stranger about her love-life. Oliver was forced to admit that he watched them together sometimes (just to make sure she was okay) and everything had seemed completely fine between Tommy and Laurel at the benefit last night. Then again, Tommy had called-off work this morning, telling him that he would start contacting contractors about the fire damage early next week, so that had been a tad suspicious.

Oliver's mind was racing, trying to imagine why Laurel would share this personal information with The Hood . . . unless she needed his help?

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, the mechanical voice-distortion adding an undercurrent of danger to the question, Oliver's fists clenching automatically at the thought. It had not been an idle threat when he'd told Tommy he'd break his neck if he hurt Laurel.

"No, no absolutely not" Laurel rushed to answer, taking a few steps closer "I hurt him" she explained her voice soft and sad "I couldn't give him a drawer, and during the fire last night, I finally realized why . . ." she paused, taking a deep breath "all of my drawers still belong to someone else" she confessed, a tear slipping down her cheek at the admission.

Oliver's heart pounded in his chest, all of the residual feelings he had tucked so carefully away, came rushing to the surface in an instant, overwhelming him with their strength. No matter how hard he had fought to control himself, to be happy and supportive of Tommy and Laurel's relationship, a part of him had ached each time he saw them together. Laurel was standing so close to him now that Oliver was certain she could hear his heartbeat thundering in response to her words.

"Oliver, they still belong to you" she finished, finally exhaling the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.

tbc

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