Queen Manor

Kitchen

Monday, September 11, 2009

9:21 AM

Walter quirked a curious eyebrow as Oliver walked into the kitchen, looking like he had gotten hit by a bus on the way downstairs. "Hello Oliver, did you sleep well?"

Oliver rubbed at his eyes as he gave a grateful nod to Walter, noticing the half full pot of coffee on the counter. "Rough night." Well, that's the truth in a nutshell.

"Ah. Sorry to hear that." Walter went back to reading his paper before he lowered it once more and turned back to Oliver. "Oh, by the way, I'm having an old friend over this morning to discuss a joint venture between Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne, I'm sure you've heard of him before." Oliver was relieved to see that Walter took the current expression on his face as normal surprise, instead of the gut wrenching concern he was feeling at that moment.

Why am I not surprised? He should have known that Bruce would stop by for a 'friendly visit' after last night. The vigilante had struck again, and while there hadn't been any casualties, it was still a little inconvenient, not to mention pretty damn brazen. It took almost all of his acting skills to keep a straight face as he asked the obvious question. "Isn't he some big shot billionaire from Gotham? I do read the paper, sometimes."

"That's funny, I didn't think you knew what a paper was Oliver." Walking passed her still semi conscious brother, Thea smirked as she gave Walter a quick peck on the cheek before moving on to grab come caffeine of her own. "Also, weren't you going to meet mom for lunch today Oliver?"

"Oh yeah….I might have promised her that before you guys got back yesterday." Oliver remembered a brief conversation to that effect, but it was too early in the morning to be certain. A loud yelp of surprise instantly caught his attention as he spun around to see Artemis being gently but firmly nudged down the stairs by a determined looking Moira a few seconds later. Oh this can't be good. The only time I ever heard her make a sound like that was when she almost sprained her ankle on the sparring mat.

"You're joking right? I uh...didn't get much sleep last night, I think I'll just-" As Artemis tried to sneak her way back up the stairs passed the Queen matriarch Moira simply blocked her path and pointed towards the bottom of the staircase.

"March young lady." Moira did her best to keep her face neutral as she pushed the blonde ahead of her. "I won't have it said that I allow truant children under my roof."

"This is a little too close to home." Thea muttered under her breath, remembering a time when that had been her not so long ago. Giving Artemis a friendly wave and a sympathetic smile, Thea tried her best to cheer the blurry eyed young blonde up. "Hi Arty, let me guess, yanked the sheets and bedspread right off you. Mom's had a lot of practice at that."

"I'm probably talking to the reason right now, aren't I?" Artemis grumbled as she straightened her blue jean jacket and the white undershirt underneath. She was not looking forward to enrollment today, needless to say. She wasn't afraid of school, she was afraid of doing something stupid like she had done against the three thugs yesterday. The last thing she needed was accidentally sending someone to the hospital.

"Yup, and unashamedly so. What can I say, I learned from the best." Thea replied as she made it a point to look at her older brother. Oliver did his best to appear completely innocent of all charges as Thea playfully ruffled his already disheveled hair.

"You have learned well, my annoying padawan." Oliver countered, earning himself a collection of playful glares or amused chuckles from those around him.

Artemis's stared blankly the amused expressions around her. "I don't get it."

Oliver's jaw dropped as he stared at the confused look on Artemis's face. "Oh my God. You haven't seen Star Wars, have you? Don't worry, my innocent young apprentice, I'll shall save you the horror of watching the awful prequels. For they are truly the work of the Dark Side."

"They aren't that bad Ollie. Work of the Dark Side, they are not." Thea countered in a strangely accented voice, and from the sound of it, it was an old argument between the two of them. "Anyway, have fun today Arty, try not to break a bully's neck on your first day there."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Speedy. I'd tell you to kiss my….." A disapproving frown on Moira's face stopped the end of that sentence cold. "Maybe I'll just show them this interesting pencil trick I know." At Moira's deepening, yet slightly amused frown, Artemis amended that. "Or not."

"I better see you in the car in five minutes or less Artemis Lian Qu-Crock." Moira was quick to correct herself, hoping no one noticed her near accidental slip as she barely managed to maintain the stern expression on her face. Well, I suppose it will be official soon enough. Oliver has been doing excellent work. Just as Moira went to open the front door there was a polite knock. Opening it, Moira's face uplifted into a full blown smile. "Mr. Wayne I assume?"

In the kitchen, Oliver's eyes flicked to the foyer and then back to Artemis as she gave a subtle nod. She understood, that didn't make her any more comfortable, but she understood she needed to keep her cool.

"Mrs. Queen." Bruce nodded his head, his best charming smile in place as he was let into the house. "I'm sorry for not giving you more warning Moira, but business beckons. Besides, Dick insisted in coming along." Richard grinned as he looked up to the Queen matriarch, unfazed by the subtle glare he received from Bruce for his trouble.

"Boys will be boys. It's good to see you again Richard." As they walked into the kitchen, a certain young blonde was surprised at the outright jealousy she felt seeing the motherly look Moira was giving the young boy.

"Likewise Mrs. Q." The shit eating grin on Richard's face didn't falter, even as he turned and met Artemis' gray eyed glare. "The Rags to Riches Princess in the flesh. Pinch me I must be dreaming!" Thea gave Richard a friendly wave, while trying desperately not to crack up at the mortified expression on Arty's face. "And I get to meet the actual Queen Princess too! This must be my lucky day. I'm livin' the dream."

"Oh, I like this kid more and more." Thea chuckled, remembering the last time Dick and Bruce had dropped by. It had been a little over a year ago, and the confident young boy before her had been far more quiet and shy. Until she and her mother had made it their mission in life to get him to laugh before they left, that was.

"Call me that again, and you'll be dreaming on the floor." Artemis growled under her breath, half tempted to forget her manners and toss the smug bastard out the nearest window.

"Promise?" Richard whispered back as he brushed past her on his way to a plate of muffins that had his name on them. Literally in his case, because Raisa knew him almost as well as Alfred. "Thanks Raisa, you're a saint."

"And you are a good boy Mr. Richard, most of the time." She quipped, as the maid left to tend to her countless chores around the household. Artemis meanwhile was shocked, having not expected this little bastard to have not only Moira wrapped around his little finger, but Raisa too.

Moira grinned as Richard grabbed the plate and sat down with a giant smile on his face. "I hope you like those Richard, Raisa and I fussed over them while we were waiting earlier. Banana Nut. Someone might have told me those are your favorite." Thank you Alfred. I owe you one.

"They're good Mrs. Q, and I can only guess who spilled that particular weakness of mine." Alfred, you jerk. I hate banana nut, but I can't be rude. What a shock, blondie is pouting, with extreme prejudice. As he glanced over at the clearly not pleased Artemis, Dick offered her one of the other muffins, desperately hoping she'd take it, if only to toss it in the trash. "What? Why the long face? Arty right?" Dick asked, his cheeks full of muffin as he balanced the plate on his knee after sitting down at the table.

"That's right, Dick. No thank you. I wouldn't want to be rude and take away your breakfast." Artemis growled through clenched teeth, as she repeatedly tightened and relaxed her right fist behind her back. Knife on the counter, a plate on the table, and a handy chair I can smash over his back. Oh the number of ways I could wipe that smug look off of his face.

Bruce meanwhile, had walked over to shake hands and talk with Walter while giving Oliver a curt nod of acknowledgement. I'll deal with you soon enough. "Hello Walter, it's been too long. I see family life has treated you well? Hello Oliver, good to see you again."

"It has old friend. And you know Oliver?" Oliver kept the confident grin on his face even as Walter turned to him with mild curiosity in his deep brown eyes.

"We met in passing once. One of your Christmas parties wasn't it?" Oliver asked, following the small group out of the kitchen while his mind tried to recall the party in question. Moments after he had his answer, Bruce confirmed it.

"Wayne Tower, 98. You were just a boy then of course, I'm surprised you remembered. You can't believe how happy I was for your family when I heard you had been safely found after, what was it, three years on that island?"

"Five actually." Oliver countered, finding he was enjoying this subtlety between them. Bruce truly was as intelligent as he was rumored to be, and he knew how to play the game well. I'm gonna have to be careful around him. "And my father brought me along as a surprise. It was a good memory." Oliver said, shrugging nonchalantly. It was a good memory, but that wasn't where his mind was lingering.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Robert. He was a better man than most people realize, his charitable works are still aiding people in need to this day, even in Gotham. The Lance girl was lost as well, as I recall, truly a terrible tragedy for everyone concerned." Bruce leaned closer to seemingly give Oliver what would be considered a private, conciliatory whisper. "Or was she, Oliver?"

Sarah! Oliver managed to keep his face level as he nodded his head in agreement. "If I had seen her since, I think you'd be the first to know." Oliver shot back just as quietly. The game was over.

Only Artemis could tell something was amiss from the way Oliver's face subtly tightened around his eyes, but one look at Richard and she had a feeling she knew what had passed between the two older men. "You sure you want your old man to push him Boy Blunder?"

As Walter and Bruce headed for his private office, the others made themselves comfortable, or in Artemis's case, as not uncomfortable as possible as Richard plopped down next to her on the couch. "It's not Bruce I'm worried about blondie. How's crime? Your buddy shove an arrow through anybody's spleen last night?" He knew the answer to that, but he was probing, seeing if Artemis had been along for the ride. Her simple and terse answer confirmed his suspicion on that.

"Bite me." Artemis hissed, not in a mood for games. "I was left behind….and I wasn't too torn up over it. You happy now Dick?"

"More than you realize Artemis." Artemis looked to her seat mate in no small amount of shock, having expected another sarcastic remark.

"And why do you care?" Artemis finally asked, truly wondering why Dick was asking at all.

"Because I've been in the sidekick business for a while now Arty. Let's just say that being his partner, it hasn't been easy, especially at first. It's dangerous work, but it's rewarding, so long as you're prepared for it." And neither you, or your would-be mentor were ready last night.

Having gone back upstairs to retrieve her purse, Moira glided down the stairs and to the front door, but not before shouting a warning to Artemis to get in gear. "Enough polite stalling young lady. Sorry Richard, but Ms. Crock here as an appointment with the principal of one of Starling City's best prep schools."

"First day and she's already being sent to the principal's office huh? Have fun Arty." Dick smirked, having not missed a beat as his solemn stare turned back into his shit eating grin in record time.

"Have a good first day Artemis. Well, half day I guess." Oliver told the still glaring girl as she let Moira gently pull her towards the door.

Richard gave her a goodbye wave just as the fuming young archer disappeared around the corner.

"I like your new little sister Thea, she's really charming." And hot, so very, very, amazingly hot. Especially when she's angry. Of course, I could be biased, and considering Bruce's history, I'm probably already been influenced by his taste in women with criminal pasts. League of Shadows assassin, professional cat burglar, the list goes on. Hmm, could be worse.

"She is once you get to know her, if you don't manage to piss her off that is. When did you become such a charmer Dick?" Thea asked with a huge grin on her face as she took Artemis's vacated seat next to him. "Just between you and me, I think she likes you. She just likes to cover up her actual feelings with frowns and growls." Thea turned to look at Oliver with a raised eyebrow. "Just like someone else I know."

Oliver for some reason felt uncomfortable at that moment. "Alright Speedy, I think you've had enough fun for one day. Don't you have a school day or something?"

"Day off, check the calendar Ollie. Today's a bit of a rough one for some people." Turning to Dick, Thea smirked as she met the mini Bruce as far as she was concerned. "And you, just wait till you get to Senior year in high school Dick, you're gonna love it. You'll have to beat the ladies off with a stick. Just make sure you don't get as bad a case of senioritis as I did. Well, or Ollie for that matter. At least I'm going to a few classes this year."

"Bruce is kinda strict about school." Understatement of the century. "I'm pretty sure I'm already inoculated for that." Dick replied, knowing that his adoptive father would duct tape and handcuff him to his school desk if that's what it took.

"For a multi-billionaire playboy, he's no fun huh?" Thea mused, as she grinned at the frowning boy.

"Oh he's fun, but his kind of fun is boring, business meetings and stockholder briefings. Well, the fine society parties are a different story, but even those are kind of stiff." Oh if only you knew Thea.

"Well, I should go, give you two a chance to catch up." Oliver hadn't quite made good on his escape as a disappointed sigh stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh come on Oliver, you never even got to meet Richard, and I just know you two will be buddies if you give each other half a chance." Thea implored her big brother, not seeing the way he stopped grinding his teeth as he turned to face her.

Richard was quick to jump on that bandwagon, much to Oliver's annoyance. "She's gotta point Ollie. Sit down, I'm all ears."

I'm starting to see why Arty was tempted to cut him. I'm half tempted to snap his neck in my own living room. Oliver grudgingly sat back down across from them and put on his best fake grin. "Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

No need to strain yourself Ollie boy. Dick thought with some amusement, able to see right through Oliver's fake smile, thanks to Bruce's training. Reading people was second nature to him by then. Hhmmm. What's it like pinning bad guys to walls every night? Nah. Does that hood itch? What's with the green face paint? Why green camo in a city? Oh I know... "So, how did you meet Deathglaremis anyway?"

Might as well go with the 'official' story. Oliver knew the story wouldn't be believed by Dick, or Bruce for that matter, but it was the cover they had come up with. "She tried to take my wallet, and Mr. Diggle, my personal bodyguard, stopped her. It was when he was pulling her to his feet that we caught sight of some of her scars. Things kind of went from there."

Damn, he's good. It's believable and random enough to be true, except we know better, don't we Oliver. She doesn't though. Thea had heard it before by then Dick figured, but she still winced in sympathy at the idea of having Diggle tackle anyone to the ground. The guy was big, not Bane big maybe, but still big. Dick couldn't help but follow Thea's example and shuddered. "Ouch. Almost feel sorry for the little blonde would-be thief."

Oliver's eyes narrowed as he kept his grin firmly in place. "Well she's much better off for having tried, so I'm glad she did. She has a real chance here, a real family that cares about her." And if you or your caped crusader guardian hurt her in any way, you will live to regret it for all of ten seconds. "I figured you of all people could understand that, Richard."

No need to hide your feelings or anything Ollie boy. Richard's grin faltered as his mind flashed back to the worst possible night of his life. "Yeah, I do understand Oliver. I got lucky, and so did Artemis. A lot of people don't get to be that fortunate." Thanks for reminding me jerk.

And now it's my turn to feel like a world class jerk. Oliver knew he had taken things a step too far and sighed, his face softening as he met the young man's gaze. "Before the island, I wouldn't have realized how good I had it. And now, well, a lot's changed. You're a smart kid Richard, I don't think I have to spell it out for you."

"Top one percent of my class. Thanks for the online help Thea." Thea smiled as Richard beamed at the older teen with honest pride in his eyes. "And if that was supposed to be an apology Oliver, it wasn't half bad. Could use a bit of work though."

"Anything for a friend Dick." Thea replied, almost blushing at the young boy's gratitude.

Oliver's jaw dropped when the truth finally dawned on him. My heavy partying, substance abusing little sister is helping this kid with his homework? "Wait, you're a tutor now? When did this happen?"

"A few months ago. When you decided to grow up." Thea countered without missing a beat.

"Bruce thinks only taking five advanced summer classes is slacking, let's put it that way." Richard chuckled, despite the fact it was also the truth.

"And for good reason Richard." Bruce countered with a subtle grin on his face. He was immensely proud of his adopted son, there was no doubt of that as he turned to the youngest Queen, thus far anyway. "Ms. Queen, I wanted to thank you for the help before we left. Although, could you dial back the incessant playful flirting?"

"No promises Mr. Wayne. Think of that as extra lessons for him. His first girlfriend will thank me." Thea told him, mercilessly giggling as Dick's face promptly turned beet red. Bruce couldn't help but rub the back of his head, feeling Richard's embarrassment a mile off.

"Well gotta go." Richard suddenly had the urge to get out of the room as fast as possible. Even getting to watch the Hood squirm isn't worth this torture! The big brother routine wasn't something he was able to get around. Retreat seemed like his best option right now.

This is priceless. The next time Boy Blunder gets snarky with me, I am totally bringing this up. Oliver held up a hand to block the boy's path and prayed that he could keep a straight face for the next five seconds. "I have to ask Mr. Grayson, what are your intentions toward my sister?"

"No need to get defensive Mr. Queen. She's way too old and I'm a bit young in case you didn't notice…..and that was a bad choice of words wasn't it?" The scathing look he could feel burning into the back of his head made that pretty clear on its own.

"D- At best." Thea growled before getting up from the couch, but Oliver could see the smirk on her face as she wrapped Richard in a very squirmy hug. Why is Oliver holding up his- oh no. NO!

The room filled with a faint 'click' as Oliver took a pic for posterity and, far more importantly, his own future amusement. Not to mention Arty's when I show her this little gem. "Looks like you have a lot to learn about women, bird brain."

"That is so uninspired, and not to mention whelming, I mean for the new straight arrow version of you." Dick countered in an equally quiet, but tense, whisper, making plans to hack Oliver's phone before he could use the picture for his personal amusement. Unbeknownst to him, Oliver wasn't quite that stupid, and had already sent it to several different email accounts. Even if he hacked one, he'd still have to find the rest. "Help me out here Brucey."

"Oh no, I'm enjoying the show." Bruce replied, chuckling at the uncomfortable look on his adopted son's face.

"Traitor!" Dick grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"If you believe that Richard, then you can find your own plane ride back to Gotham." Oliver's smirk grew as he prepared to make Bruce look bad by jumping to the boy's rescue, but he never got the chance as Dick's grin vanished immediately.

It probably didn't help that Thea was glaring at him for a completely different reason now. "You have three seconds to take that back before I make you. And in that case, forget the tutoring, Dick."

Dick's tune changed on a dime, needless to say. Yeah, not making Thea even more pissed at me, I'd call that my good deed for the day. "Did I say traitor? I meant wonderful father figure that lets me ride shotgun all the time." And now I feel like a complete idiot.

"Better. I take it back Ms. Queen, please, keep on teaching Richard as you see fit. It's certainly a good influence on him." As attractive young tutors usually are on most boys. It definitely helped me pass calculus...or was that my first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do? Oh right, both. "Mr. Queen, Walter, take care. I'll be seeing you." The subtle warning wasn't missed as their gazes locked for all of two seconds as Bruce walked by Oliver on his way out the door.

Richard gave a friendly parting wave as he dashed towards the front door. "Say bye to Arty for me, Thea. See ya Ollie."

Rushing outside as the pair almost reached their limo, Bruce wasn't surprised to see a somewhat apologetic look on the younger man's face. "Hey Bruce, just wanted to say that if I can do half as good a job with Artemis as you're doing with Richard...she might turn out alright."

Putting a hand on Oliver's shoulder, the far more experienced vigilante nodded his head. "You're doing a better job than you realize Mr. Queen." Bruce replied, seeing the olive branch for what it was. It still warmed his jaded heart to see Oliver was trying to make the effort though. "If you ever need advice, as a father...or in other areas, I'm just a phone call away."

Oliver looked around him for a moment, as if he was searching for something. "Huh. Since I don't have a giant floodlight handy, that'll have to do."

"Dick's right, you need to work on those one-liners of yours Queen." Bruce couldn't help the small grin on his face as he held out his hand. "Good luck, Green Arrow." Oliver raised an eyebrow at the new name, having not expected 'Batman' to give him anything, let alone a modicum of trust. "What? I've seen the arrows you use. They're literally green. You aren't the only vigilante with access to the police reports they file about us."

"Fair point, just didn't think I'd hear you admit to hacking." Oliver replied, firmly grasping the elder hero's hand in his own. Green Arrow...has a nice ring to it. Better than the Hood anyway. "And the same to you Bruce."

"I will be checking in on you, but I'm hopeful I won't have to...too often." Bruce said before disappearing into the back seat of his limo. With that, the limo quickly made its way out of the Queen driveway, just as Diggle was walking up to the front door.

In the now moving vehicle, Alfred took a moment to glance up at the rearview mirror. "Since I see that both of you are still surprisingly intact Master Bruce, I take it that means your second chat went better than the first?"

"It did Alfred. In fact, far better than I had anticipated it would." Bruce replied, with no small amount of wonder in his voice. There was hope for Mr. Queen and Artemis Crock yet.

"And I got to meet a hot girl on this trip. Things are looking up Al."

"That's good news Master Richard, except for the fact that means I'll get to look forward to even more late nights from the both of you in a few years. Bloody brilliant." Alfred grumbled, already imagining the trouble Richard would wind up in. It was bad enough when he had to worry about Selena Kyle letting herself in at all hours of the night.

Diggle meanwhile looked to the departing vehicle and back to the small smile on Oliver's face. "I take it Mr. Wayne's visit was pleasant then?"

Oliver just smirked as he turned to his friend. "Yeah, it was Dig. I'll tell you about it later. I think I need to go get some air first."

"Will it be the Ducati or your own bike?" Diggle asked, knowing what Oliver was hinting at as he followed his friend to the garage. Must have been a hell of a chat for him to want some air. The fact he's smiling means it was advice he plans to listen to.

Oliver blanched at the very thought of taking Arty's brand new present out without even asking her. "What? Are you kidding? I get so much as a scratch on that thing, and I'll be lucky if I wake up with working knees."

Dig just shrugged at Oliver's near comedic response. "True. Never stopped you from doing stupid things before though."

Oliver held up a warning finger. "One more word and I'm telling her you keyed it."

"That's okay Oliver, I like a challenge."

Queen Consolidated

12;50 PM

"Do you mind waiting by the car for a moment Artemis? This shouldn't take long." Moira said as she recognized the man coming towards her as she and the blonde at her side left the office after making a quick stop after the meeting with the principal at Starling City's Preparatory School enrollment office earlier. Copani was a mobster, he worked for a mobster, and she had no intention to even listen to the man's proposal. Besides, even if Malcolm hadn't expressed his dislike of the man, Moira would have shot down Copani's proposal anyway on principal alone.

Unbeknownst to Moira, Artemis knew the Copanis from her dad's contacts, but she kept her face neutral as she walked by the guy without a backwards glance. He didn't recognize her, her chopped off ponytail probably didn't hurt, or the fact that she was wearing clothes that didn't have holes the size of meatballs. Something's wrong, I know it. Maybe I can 'listen' in from the car? Funny thing about having a dad for an enforcer, she had learned more than one way to pass along information. Reading lips was just a side benefit.

Casually leaning against Moira's car, Artemis crossed her arms over her chest and pulled out her new phone, making it appear for all intents and purposes she was checking her email, while in reality she was zooming its camera in on Copani and Moira as they talked. What deal are you hoping to make with Queen Consolidated, scum bag? Okay, Moira shouldn't even know this guy's name, let alone be talking to him. Something stinks here, and it's not the smog. Artemis knew she had already made her decision to pull the business woman out of the impromptu meeting as she started walking towards them. I hope she doesn't get too upset about this.

Oliver rode up about that moment, catching his mother's eye as he waved at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch date with my son and his ward." Copani tried to say something else, but he never got the chance.

Turning his head to an approaching motorbike, Oliver's eyes widened as he saw the guy in black leather and helmet was holding a gun in his right hand. It was pointed at his mother and the guy she was with. "Get down!" The gunman opened fire hitting, Copani repeatedly in the chest at close range, while the rest of the rider's indiscriminate shots strafed across the sidewalk. Just as the window behind Moira was shattered, she felt someone slam into her at high speed, effectively getting her out of the gunman's inaccurate field of fire as bullets whizzed over her head. By this point Oliver had literally leapt on top of the two blondes to protect them with his body, but by then the shooter had driven off. Looking up, it took Oliver a second to realize they were out of danger before turning to help Artemis and his mother off the pavement. "Are you alright?!"

"We're alright!' Moira and Artemis said, although both of them had minor injuries now. The back of Moira's head was pounding, and Artemis's nose was gushing blood from her rapid trip into the pavement, but other than that, they seemed to be fine.

Oliver was already dialing his phone, mildly surprised his hands weren't shaking after having almost lost two of the most important people in his life. "There's been a shooting outside Queen Consolidated, we need an ambulance down here now!"

"Oliver? You're bleeding." Artemis had been the first to notice the graze on Oliver's right side which had torn a hole right through his jacket.

"Huh, didn't even notice. Just a scratch Arty, don't worry about it. Here, let me get your nose." The cloth Oliver had fished out of his pocket was quickly ripped out of his hand and pressed tightly against his side. "Or we can do that."

"Shut up Ollie!" Artemis shouted in between sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks. This had been far too close to home for her.

For the first time, Moira noticed the shaking girl, and her wounded son as, still dazed, she pressed them both against her. "I'm just glad we're all alright. It's okay Artemis, just let it out." Easy for me to say, but it's what she needs. Moira wasn't all that surprised when she noticed the look on the younger blonde's face that was torn between getting out of the hug she was currently trapped in and doing exactly what Moira had suggested and just letting her defenses crumble.

"Jesus. Kid, you're a walking trouble magnet." For once, Lance wasn't looking at Oliver or Artemis with suspicion. It was pretty clear to him that they were all shaken up from this mess. The fact the blonde 'bank robber' was crying her eyes out against Moira's chest probably helped. "I need a medic over here! Queen, free piece of advice, I'd wrap the kid in kevlar next time you take her outside."

"Noted Detective." Oliver said as he reluctantly stood, his hand keeping the cloth to his side as he met Lance's gaze before gently prying Artemis away from his mother. "It's alright Arty, she's in good hands."

"Here princess, let's see if we can get some of that blo-" Lance flinched as Artemis glared at him and ripped the gauze out of his hand he had grabbed from one of the EMTs that were tending to Moira. After swallowing his ego, Lance met Oliver's gaze as he did his best to clean up Artemis' bloody nose despite her protests that she could do it herself. Typical tough girl act, even as she's balling her eyes out at almost being shot at. Maybe I'll be backing off my surveillance after all? "Look Oliver, this whole thing you got going with your little sidekick here is nice. Almost impressive even. Never thought I'd be saying that in any universe, but there it is."

Oliver's surprise wasn't completely feigned as he stuttered over a response. "I um...wait was that a compliment? Ah...thanks?"

"Wiseass. Come on, I'll make sure you get to ride with these lovely ladies to the hospital." Lance put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and guided him over to the waiting ambulance, where Arty was already being looked at next to the gurney Moira had been placed on.

"Sorry, this is gonna sting." The EMT said, gently touching her fingertips to either side of Artemis' nose so she didn't flinch away at the worst time.

"You might want to tie me up first." Oliver knew she wasn't joking even as the EMT chuckled at the young archer's comment.

A man in pain is unreliable. I was afraid I might kill you. He wisely sat down next to her and gently squeezed her hands, having a feeling Slade's advice would come in handy in this instance as well.

"Okay, here we go." Artemis quietly waited for the brunette woman reposition her busted nose. And waited. After about five seconds, she was starting to get impatient.

"Just do it alreaAAHHH!" If not for Ollie's hands firmly restraining hers, Artemis was uncertain whether or not she would have snapped the grinning EMT's neck when she snapped her nose back into its original shape. Blinking the tears from her eyes, the blonde turned her head to Oliver, who only patted her clenched hands. "Phhanks….Owlly."

"Owlly? Who's that Arty?" Oliver asked, just glad she was okay, that they were both okay, as he ruffled her hair, much to the young archer's growing annoyance.

"Shud uup Owlly." Artemis growled while holding her sore nose, preventing it from gushing out anymore blood onto the ground as the EMT prepared to pack it with gauze, and tape it in place.

Moira's eyes twinkled with delight as she watched the banter between the two of them. It's like they were meant for eachother. Or maybe that's partly the concussion talking. "Oliver, your sense of humor needs some work." Whatever the case, Moira made it a point to look at the youngest of their strange group, concerned almost as much as Oliver was for her well being. "And Artemis, are you alright? Truly alright?"

"Says the woman going to the hospital. Don't worry mom, we're okay. Let's just get you looked at and then maybe I can start to relax." More like when I put an arrow through the eye socket of the bastard that tried to shoot at my mother and my daugh-

Artemis peered closer at Oliver, noticing the way his face had frozen for a moment. "Phou oh'kay Owlly?"

No, not really Arty, but thanks for asking. "Yeah….just had a huge epiphany was all, I think that's the right word anyway." Oliver was still trying to wrap his head around that little doozy of a thought, as he smiled and gently patted the concerned hand Artemis had put on his shoulder without even thinking about it.

"About?" Moira asked, having a sneaking suspicion she knew what had crossed her son's mind. It finally dawned on him. It has truly hit him just what he's in for, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Moira couldn't have been prouder of her son, or happier to call Artemis her granddaughter. Even if this meant she was, as of at that moment anyway, unofficially a grandmother. Unofficial until the adoption goes through, and by God it will go through now. I will move heaven and earth to keep them together if I have to, if Oliver doesn't do it first. She had a feeling she wouldn't have to do much but give her support and perhaps some advice, if the way Oliver was looking at Artemis was any indication.

Well, I can either stuff this weird feeling in my chest deep down in the back of my mind, or... "I just realized how much you mean to me Artemis." Oliver replied, unable to help the quaver in his voice as the ambulance rolled on. And I will find who tried to shoot you. And they'll pay for it.

For once, Artemis didn't question her feelings as she leaned against Oliver's side, one hand against her nose and the other wrapped around Oliver's hand, the fingers of which were entwined with Moira's. She missed her mother more than ever at that moment, but the feeling wasn't as debilitating as it once was as she looked up into Oliver's face.

"Thank you Oliver." Oliver merely nodded his head, not about to ask what his mother was thanking him for. He got the impression it was for far more than his hasty leap of faith earlier.

Queen Manor

7:42 PM

Despite Walter's protests to the contrary, Moira had insisted he didn't have to stay home to tend to her. The office needed one of them at least, and besides, she had Thea, Oliver, and Artemis willing to stay at home with her per her doctor's request. She was in good hands. And so it saw her and Artemis watching TV together in her room, Moira looking through a magazine while Artemis tried to keep herself busy while keeping an eye on the Queen matriarch.

"Can I get you anything? Tea, a sandwich, the head of the guy that did this?" Artemis asked, finally stopping on some movie channel, but she wasn't paying it much attention. She wasn't about to let Moira out of her sight more than she had to. With Oliver trying to run down clues as to who had taken a shot at them, and Thea having reluctantly left the house to go clubbing, it fell to her to make sure nothing happened.

"No sweetheart, you don't have to do anything." Moira chuckled, meeting the young blonde's gray eyes before closing her magazine and setting it down on the nearby dresser top. "If you don't mind, I'm more concerned about you right now."

Oh great, I get to be 'mothered' now. As if I need that. ...But it's kinda nice to experience again. "Just a busted nose, not worth complaining about." Artemis knew that hadn't gone over well from the disapproving frown on Moira's face.

"I think we both know that's not what I meant."

Trying to evade an honest answer again, Artemis tried for cheerful sarcasm. "Well, getting shot at never gets old-"

Moira just patiently stared at the evasive blonde, raising an amused eyebrow. "Try again."

Artemis huffed in defeat as she sat down next to Moira. "Fine. You want to know if that...thing Ollie said bothers me or something, right? It doesn't, it's just a little..."

"Frightening?" Moira finished for her, as Artemis's gray eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I was going to say weird. Never really had anyone give a damn-I mean care about me. Especially after they found about my screwed up folks. If people were ever nice to me it was because they wanted something, or they were pretending to begin with."

"Well I certainly didn't do that did I?" Artemis laughed at the mock stern face Moira put on for her benefit.

"Nope. At least you were honest. I mean, for someone I thought hated me at first." So why were you talking to a scumbag like Caponi?

Miora chuckled at the young blonde's own rather blunt honesty. "That is one thing you needn't worry about me, Artemis."

"What you see is what you get huh?" Bullshit. Everyone has secrets, some are just worse than others. But...I get the impression she's trying to be open with me. That was a lot more than she could have said about most of the people she had ever known. Moira might have her secrets, but Artemis couldn't shake the feeling that whatever they were, she only kept them for the sake of her family, or because of her family. Either way, to her, Moira was someone she was able to let her guard down around.

"I like to think so at least." Moira replied before asking another question, one that she suspected Artemis wouldn't answer easily. "What I do find curious, is that Oliver actually admitted his feelings. That's a rare event as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't even show me what's under that mask of his now."

Oh great, I know I'd be jealous if my kid opened up to some little punk and not me. "That's something we have in common…."

"Oh no, you're much more open with your feelings dear. To be honest, despite that constant growl filled veneer, you wear your emotions on your sleeve. At least compared to Oliver." Letting that thought sink in for a moment, Moira continued before Artemis could clam up. "Whatever your past, you seem to have had just as much of a positive influence on my son as he has had on you Artemis."

Did I just fall into the Twilight Zone or something? "Um...thanks. That's gotta be the first time anyone said I was a good role model. I'm usually more into picking locks and pockets than giving out advice or whatever."

I'm not exactly surprised, but at least she's comfortable enough around me to share the truth. "Hhmmm. Those seem like useful skills to have. You'll have to teach me, and I'll show you how to properly run a corporation. Sound fair?"

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say Moira." Like I have the brains to do something like that. Teaching her to lift Ollie's stuff might be fun though.

It was abundantly clear that Miora didn't approve of the doubtful expression on Artemis's face. She still has to learn to be more confident in herself. That's going to the top of my list after the adoption is finalized. For now, time for a little self deprecating humor to cheer her up. "Don't worry, it's basically just pick pocketing on a much larger and legal scale."

"Huh. Never thought of it that way. In that case, I'll teach you how to 'get back into your house when you lose the key.'" Just hope the alarm doesn't go off too often.

"Just don't get any ideas and we'll be fine." Moira chuckled, pausing for a moment then a certain thought occurred to her. Although, I might even get a laugh out of Walter if I got to hand him his watch or wallet back. After letting him search for them for a few minutes of course.

"Wait, somebody lost a key? Musta dropped it when...well you know." Thea said, wondering why Arty and her mother suddenly burst into fits of laughter for no apparent reason. "What? What'd I miss?"

After a few moments, Moira managed to quiet her laughter enough to answer her obviously confused daughter. "Nothing Thea, Artemis and I were just discussing our unique...skillsets."

Artemis grinned at the knowing smile Moira shared with her. "That's one way of putting it. What can we do for ya Thea?"

Thea just shrugged, still mildly confused, as she turned her full focus on her mother. "Nothing, just wondering if you didn't mind if I went out for a while mom.

Moira didn't have to feign her disapproval as she met her daughter's gaze. "That depends on where you're going. And who you're going with."

"Just a little group outing. Clubbing with my friends." Thea sounded like she was talking about the weather, since clubbing for her had been an almost daily occurrence before Artemis had dropped into her life.

"And you expect me to stay with your mother, alone, with the possibility of my freak sister coming back?" More like I know what 'clubbing' translates into. I'm not stupid Thea.

Somehow, Thea seemed to entirely miss Artemis's pissed off tone. Or she was ignoring it. "I think you can handle yourself Arty. Besides, Oliver will be back any second, you'll be fine."

Seeing the lost cause for what it was, Artemis crossed her arms and shook her head. "Fine. Whatever." Go get shitfaced, see if I care when you're puking your guts out tomorrow.

Moira had easily noticed the underlying tension between the two girls as she nodded in agreement with Artemis's blunt statement. "Have a good time Thea, just be safe, alright?"

"I will. You just get some rest." Thea turned to her all but adopted sister and smirked at the inwardly fuming blonde. "And you, try not to do anything too crazy."

Like almost getting shot to save your mom? We almost got killed, and she wants to party? "Selfish bitch says what?" Arty mumbled under her breath as Thea turned to leave.

The moment she reached the door downstairs however, someone knocked and made her pause for a moment. Opening it, Thea was surprised to see Malcolm Merlyn on the threshold. "Hey Mr. Merlyn. I was just heading out."

"Don't worry, I just wanted to see how your mother was doing. I won't be long. Have a nice time Thea." Malcolm replied, all warm smiles and subtle charm, which had yet to fail him, and it didn't fail him here as Thea let him in without a word. "Thank you Thea."

"See ya Mr. Merlyn." Thea replied, shutting the door behind her as her girlfriends pulled up by the front door.

Wasting no time as he swept into the bedroom upstairs, Malcolm hid his mild surprise at seeing Artemis next to Moira. I seem to have underestimated Oliver's recent maturity. "What a charming young woman Thea has grown into, Moira. And this of course is the famous Artemis Crock, or should I say Queen? We never really were properly introduced were we?"

"You're Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy Merlyn's old man right? You know Mal, some people mightthink it's pretty creepy to just walk into someone else's bedroom." Artemis's fierce gray glare made it plainly clear how she felt about the subject.

"Father is the appropriate term, but yes. And I'd prefer Mr. Merlyn, or Malcolm if you like." Malcolm took a step closer, and Artemis couldn't help but scoot closer to Moira, who looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. "However, Moira and I have been long time friends, Ms. Crock, and while I have been a bit bold, this isn't unusual. You both have had a nasty shock today, and I wanted to make sure you were alright. I see that my fear was misplaced. Moira couldn't ask for a better caretaker, not to mention bodyguard from the rumors I heard."

I'd recognize that angry gleam in his eyes anywhere. Artemis was already on her feet and positioning herself between the two adults. "If that was supposed to be a compliment, Mal, you can-"

"Kindly accept our thanks for your concern Malcolm." Moira said, while firmly pushing Artemis back down next to her side on the bed. The last thing she wanted was to have the two of them come to blows.

Well, well. She's quite the fierce little guardian after all. Moira Queen, you surprise me everyday. Malcolm's subtle smirk widened slightly as he sat down next to Moira while Artemis continued to glare at him on the other side of the bed. "You're welcome Moira, and I hope your recovery will be swift. After all, you've always been an important friend to me, not to mention a big part of the successful future of Starling City." She'd know what he meant by that as he nodded his head to the young Crock before leaving the room, and the house moments later. He had gotten what he needed from this impromptu meeting. It looks like I have a far simpler way to keep her properly motivated than I dreamed. What a shame it would be if her little overly protective friend fell into the wrong hands.

I really don't like that asshole. Artemis shook her head as she watched him go from the top of the stairs before rushing down to lock the door once she was certain his car had pulled away. Something about him made alarm bells go off in her head. Just as she was going back upstairs, her new phone went off. Even if he didn't have news, Artemis was far beyond glad to see Oliver was calling. "Oliver, you find anything out?"

"It seems that a certain little birdy was happy to send me the license plate numbers off of the shooter's bike." Looks like that painfully obvious crush he has on her came in handy. "Diggle was able to follow the driver's route through the street cams across the city, and I found the shooter's hideout. They're after the Bertinelli's and the Chinese Triad. Speaking of which, I have a party to get to. I'll get back to you later Arty."

"Party?! What party? Oliver?" Realizing he had hung up on her, Artemis growled and reconsidered shooting him when he got back.

"Sorry, looks like you got stuck with boring old me tonight Artemis." Moira said when she saw that the blonde was in one of her foul moods once again after Artemis came back upstairs. "Is everything alright?"

Artemis sighed as she distractedly leaned next to the doorway. "Just your son, being your son."

"Ah. He does that a lot. I think I can get your mind off of him though. Come on and get comfortable." Moira patted the empty half of her bed invitingly. "I might not be as up to date in some areas, but movies are one of my stronger suits."

"Movie night with Moira Queen. Never would have imagined that. I'm game, didn't really ever got the chance to watch them much before." The tone in Artemis voice was one of pleasant disbelief.

"Wait, please tell me you've at least indulged in a few films?" Moira said as she pointed towards a small cabinet underneath the bedroom entertainment center.

Artemis shrugged yet again, a very noncommittal gesture that Moira had noticed she was quite fond of. "I had to sneak out to enjoy them. Not an easy thing to do with my dad over my shoulder any time he was actually around."

"I see, I should have known better. Well, that's something we shall have to remedy, isn't it? Starting tonight." Moira gestured to the top shelf as the young girl opened the cabinet. "First one on the left, unless you'd rather watch something else? This is our movie night after all."

"I think I'm going to enjoy this." Artemis replied as she found the movie Moira was directing her towards, letting her gray eyes sweep over the back before popping the DVD into the machine.

Four and a half hours later.

"What. The. Hell?! Varth what's his face was Luke's old man?! And I thought I had daddy issues..." Artemis glared at Moria with mock betrayal, as her mind still reeled over the massive twist in the story. "Why the h-eck didn't you warn me?"

"So I could see the look that's on your face right now. That never gets old. Ever hear the phrase ' Never spoil an Empire moment'?" This night is now complete.

"Not really. Wait. Wasn't the name of this one..." I'll be damned.

Moira never tired of seeing the expression on a child's face when they suddenly understood something new. Even if it's something as mundane as movie trivia. "Now you know where it comes from. That was the moment most other shocking twists are compared to in films."

"Can't imagine why. That was quite a twist. Still annoyed that you didn't warn me though." Not really, it was worth it, but I can't tell her that now can I?

"Okay, this is most likely going to embarrass you but, type in 'father: Dutch translation' on that phone I know Oliver gave you." Moira waited a beat and was mildly disappointed at the response she got, or rather didn't get, a moment later.

Son of a bitch! His name was Darth Father? Clever bastard, that Lucas guy, clever but cruel. "Actually, it was Thea, just so you know, but I have his number." There was no way that Artemis was giving Moira the satisfaction of seeing her surprised twice in as many minutes. "Last one is called Return of the Jedi huh? Should we go ahead and watch it, or wait for tomorrow?"

"Tell you what Artemis, I'll leave that up to you." Moira hadn't even finished her sentence by the time Arty had gotten up to switch the DVD discs. "Someone took the 'do or do not' speech a little too seriously I think." Moira playfully chided, as she patted the now popcorn and candy bar covered comforter next to her. "I hadn't realized how much I missed nights like this."

"I hadn't realized how good they were until now." Oliver stated at the door, having slipped into the house, and earned a pair of pleasantly surprised looks from Artemis and Moira as he sat down next to the blonde. "Return of the Jedi huh? Excellent choice. Empire is the best one though. Hey Artemis, I bet you don't know who Luke's fath-"

"Couldn't just stop after finding out old wheezy was Luke's dad." Artemis was able to admit to him, but not to Moira, something Moira wasn't too shocked to notice. "And I still can't believe that whiny little blonde brat turned into such a selfless hero at the end of the first one."

Damn. Oh well, probably for the best, mom would've killed me anyway for ruining that part. She's certainly got Luke Skywhiner pegged though. "Funny how that works. Remind you of anyone Arty?"

True to form, Artemis had a comment locked and loaded. "Well, you are actually pretty heroic when you want to be Ollie. You heroically saved a brick wall from getting hit by a bullet today."

"Ha. Very funny Artemis. I was trying to protect my mother, and you Arty." If Oliver was overly surprised that Artemis looked less guilty and more distracted by the fact a giant talking slug was making his first appearance on screen.

"Shut up Ollie and sit down. Oh good. Holo is still in one piece, sort of." Artemis leaned in closer to read the subtitles, not wanting to miss a word. "Ah crap, creepy laughter is never a good thing."

Holo? This is going to be a long night. Mom must be on the good drugs if she not being offended by Arty's Star Wars sacrilege. "Got room for one more?" Oliver asked as he gently plopped down in between the two women, playfully nudging Artemis until she was almost falling off the edge of the bed.

"For your fat ass-teroid?" Artemis grumbled, half tempted to just flip him off the bed and call it a night.

"Sshhh. I can't hear Leia's lines." Somehow, I never get tired watching of this part.

"What lines, she's just...laying in a gold metal bikini in front of that slug thing. I hope she kicks slimy jumbo sized ass." Arty's gray eyes widened as Luke managed to get himself dumped in front of a very hungry rancor. "Ah crap. How could you be that dumb Skywalker?!"

Not one of his best moments, that's for sure. Just wait Arty, you won't be disappointed when Leia gets some payback. "Exactly." Oliver managed to sound as if he had said something profoundly wise.

When she realized what Oliver was truly getting at, Artemis rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in annoyance. "Oh you...you're a dog Ollie."

"Thank you. The only creepy thing...remember when Leia kisses Luke?"

"Yup. Got her point across to that 'scruffy lookin' nerf herder'..." Artemis paused in thought, and then snapped her fingers. "San Holo?"

Yup, mom's on really good drugs. She's even starting to irk me now, and I'm not even a sci-fi nerd. Most of the time. "Well it turns out that-"

"Don't you dare Oliver." From the glare on Moira's face, Oliver knew that if her gaze could freeze him in carbonite, he would be frozen solid by now.

Totally worth it if Leia is there to thaw me out though. "...I'm done talking now." Oliver wisely shut up then, knowing when to keep his own counsel. I think I'll let Arty enjoy herself for once, instead of telling her how much Helena Bertinelli reminds me of her. And definitely not in a good way. At least her and mom would probably be proud that I stopped at couple bruises and a busted nose when I found their shooter. After talking to her, Oliver had quickly realized that Helena was what Artemis could become without the right guidance, and that was something he didn't want to see happen to the young archer. Diggle had only helped him realize that there was no stopping Helena from exacting her revenge. The best Oliver could think of to do, short of putting her in the ground, was giving her a means to minimize the body count, and even that, he wasn't sure would be enough to stop the two groups from going into all out war. If I can't stop Helena, and I can't send her to jail because she knows who I am, then I don't know what I'll be forced to do to keep my secret, short of asking for help from someone that already knows who I am.

Noticing that Oliver seemed distracted, Moira gently tapped her son on his arm to get his attention. "Oliver? You seemed a little distant, I imagine today was just as hard on you as it was on us. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

After a moment of thought, Oliver found he did want to talk, and while it wouldn't be anything related to his 'night life', he still felt the need to actually talk about things. "Yeah….maybe today was a bit heavier than I thought it'd be. I haven't exactly been open about things have I?"

Suddenly Artemis's acting talent kicked in as her face dropped into a look of utter, vehement denial. "No, that's not true Ollie-"

"Let me guess, it's not possible either? You've learned well my young snarky apprentice." Oliver said with a proud grin on his face, as even after Artemis slugged him in his sore side, he was still grinning.

"Actually, I was going to say...you know what, nevermind, jerk." Artemis felt the slightest tinge of shame at the guilty look on Ollie's face as they settled in to watch the rest of the film. It wasn't going to make her to lose face though, not by a long shot. Damn. Just how many times has he seen these movies anyway?

End notes; Vergil1989; For once, we've had a mostly fluffy chapter with very little dark and depressing crap. I can get used to this lol.

Archer83; Yup, this is as fluffy as Vergil can humanly get. He's more fluff now than man. Tolerant and empathetic. God help us all.

Vergil1989; Bite my fluffy ass Archer. Joking aside, we have clearly entered AU territory. Not only did Oliver NOT chase down that psychotic woman with a death wish, but he tried to protect both his mother and Artemis at the same time.

Archer83; Which, IMHO, I think is a massive improvement over the original scene.

Vergil1989; I'll agree with Archer on this one, but I also like how they did it originally. It showed how screwed up Oliver still was. Funny how being responsible for a kid with a few more issues than your average blonde teenager can make you get your head on straight. At any rate, follows, favorites, PMs, reviews, the usual is accepted as far as feedback is concerned. Adios and have a good one guys and gals.