I don’t know what you hope to accomplish.

      Oliver’s eyes stayed off Tommy and, instead, focused on the colored speckles on the carpet below. He didn’t know what he hoped to accomplish either. It was something that he wanted to FIX, but he didn’t know how, and it didn’t seem like Tommy even wanted it. No, he DEFINITELY didn’t want it.

      The archer was going to say more, when suddenly the door opened. He glanced up to see an exasperated Laurel who looks like she didn’t take his advice and rest at home. Relief was written on her features, and she just stood there at the door, eyes flickering between Oliver and Tommy.

      “He’s okay,” Oliver reassured her, and he saw the smile surface on her lips.

      “Oh thank god,” she muttered and entered the room. Oliver watched as he noticed her react to the tension within the room, and when questioning eyes landed on him, he just shook his head and forced a smile out as he stood up from his seat. He didn’t need to burden her with what’s been going on—besides, it wasn’t like he could tell her that they weren’t friends anymore because Oliver was the Arrow and killed Malcolm Merlyn.

      “I’ll leave you two alone,” he tried saying as nonchalantly as he could and watched as Laurel walked over to Tommy. The archer looked at his former friend and hoped that he wouldn’t tell Laurel who Oliver actually was… but he had a feeling that the other wouldn’t, even though Tommy was mad at him.

      He smiled gently and put a hand out to wave at the two of them. “I’m going to rest up at home. See you two later.” And with that, he walked out of the room.

Laurel nodded her head in agreement. They could all agree that something needed to be done and that they wanted the best life possible for the citizens of Starling City. The problem came with how to do it and sometimes who should even be considered citizens. Laurel knew more than one person who thought the people of the Glades were beneath them. “Of course. Not that I haven’t followed my father on his path with almost blinding worship.” She could admit that she was a daddy’s girl and followed in his footsteps but even he couldn’t stop her from doing what she felt was right.

“They shouldn’t need saving and they wouldn’t if they were treated fairly. People so what they have to in order to survive.“ She tried to help the people who came to her for help in less than legal matters, those who wanted to turn onto a more straight and narrow path, but it wasn’t always easy or worked. “I should have. I was his girlfriend and we loved each other.“ That part she didn’t doubt. And Laurel was still a romantic at heart, love was supposed to be different. “You can never say them too much.“

He's known Laurel long enough to recognize that specific fact. She tended to follow her father’s footsteps and even gained a few ideals from him as well. Only her mindset was a bit different. Still, the two were very keen on helping those in need and going as far as possible to accomplish it. Her father, however, was more cautious of the dangers. “That’s true. But you and him have opposing viewpoints at times.” Which normally set them against one another with Laurel winning her side due to her driven nature. It was an interesting relationship the two shared, never devoid of father/daughter love.

The comment about going far away made her feel guilty. She was supposed to look out for her family; keep the bullies away from Sara, make sure that her father came home safely at night, let her mother know she still needed her. Laurel couldn’t do that if she was far away. “Sometimes I just want to go where nobody knows me and I don’t have all these expectations hanging over me.” She had always been jealous of the way he didn’t have to live up to being the perfect son. Laurel knew if she told anyone this they would tell her she didn’t have to do any of it, but actions spoke louder than words and they kept putting her into those roles.

The part of her that was in control so often said this was wrong and wasn’t fair to anyone. It was going to end badly, but that part wasn’t in control. The part that had been hurt and the darkness slipped into the cracks said it was fair. She wasn’t making anyone do anything they didn’t want to do. “This was my idea.” Her eyes narrowed and she pulled away from him. Laurel started pacing the room before she stopped back in front of him. “I want to know what he feels. I want him to know what I feel every time he kisses someone else.”

Her smile slipped for the briefest of seconds. Hope wasn’t something she had felt for a very long time. It was hard to dwell on that when he was so charming and cute. “I won’t do anything to dash that hope. You are after all so cute.” Dinah pouted just a bit. “I’m used to that. I’ve had a lot of times I’ve had to start over. Life hasn’t been kind to me, but I haven’t been kind to it either.” Her father’s deaths, Ollie’s, getting powers she didn’t ask for and of course coming here. There were all starting over.  “Nobody I want to spend any time with. I think if I had one wish it would be to travel the world and try all kinds of new dishes in their native countries.”

“Nice save.” She enjoyed a good night out at the club or a spa weekend. Okay maybe a spa weekend wasn’t his idea of fun but she and Thea had enjoyed it. “I’m good at a lot of things, relationships are not one of them.” Which she found funny because she knew how to look like the perfect girlfriend. Affectionate, the girl you could bring home to your parents, but when it came down to what was under the surface she had made more than her fair share of mistakes. Laurel was the type who loved the idea of something so much she forgot about reality. “You’ve always been that person for me. Even when all of us were just friends I knew I could rely on you.” And after Oliver and Sara’s death, he had been the one to make her go through more than just the motions.

“I think we all had qualities that got us into trouble. My inability to let an injustice go unpunished never made me more popular.” And she still got into trouble with that one, but there was no principal threatening to revoke her scholarship if she didn’t leave something alone.

Tommy never really considered himself the type who could be a boyfriend in general, never really wanting to try in the past. “I don’t know if I’d agree with you completely on that. Our relationship is going really well if you ask me.” Regardless, he knew what was meant. It wasn’t supposed to be a simple thing, struggles were placed, arguments thrown in. Love wasn’t easy, nor should it be. He had his faults on the matter too. Usually the type to flee from commitment, only recently had that changed. “Here I was thinking I was the last person anyone could rely on, especially when we were younger.” Of course, when Laurel was hurting all he wanted to do was make the pain stop. Maybe at first them being together was for mere distraction sake, yet that didn’t last for long.

“I do,” Cara softly said. Which was why she made the effort to stay away, to ensure that no choices involving her ever had to be made. …But she couldn’t deny that it meant everything that he would choose to be there for her, just as she would choose to be there for him - always. He really was the best friend that anyone could hope to have.

“Me? Oh goodness no,” Cara replied with a shake of her head, “I was fighting off a witch, and she was in the middle of a spell, and it was utter chaos, and boom - I was shot back through time.” She then laughed, “Please don’t ask me to explain how any of that timeline stuff works, I have no idea. Regardless, I promised to pay Tommy from the past back, and I did.”

“I still have to try,” Cara evenly countered. “And you know I hate the idea of you getting involved. After everything that happened with those demons…” Sitting in that basement, watching them hurt him… She was sure she was going to lose him that night. That she was going to be responsible for the death of the one remaining person that she cared about. The fact that they both walked away… She didn’t want to risk him again. She wouldn’t.

Tommy knew she couldn’t stick around and stay in the city – it wasn’t part of her life, she led a more free lifestyle when it came to hunting. Going wherever monsters seemed to pop up. It was a dangerous path to walk, yet Cara was used to it, wanting to save however many people she could. So when she came by Starling, of course she’d be welcomed.

“Only when I win. If there’s nothing to win than the journey is what’s important.” Laurel thought that sounded good. When she was taking time off, something she almost never did, she didn’t mind enjoying every moment of relaxation that she could soak up. “And I promise when we go on a vacation I will enjoy the journey just as much as wherever we might end up.” It might even be more if she just let him plan things. As long as things got planned.

“That just means they knew you long enough to know exactly what you were like and they loved you anyways. I say that says something. Can you blame me?” They both knew some of the stunts he pulled and she knew he was well aware of what Oliver was doing while they were together. “But that was a lifetime ago and the journey was worth it if this was the man you became.“

“If I invest my time in finding more time to sleep I have less time to invest in my clients.” And she would gladly give up a few hours of sleep in order to help the people of Starling City. She would fall asleep when she wore herself out too much to stay awake. Not the best plan, but the one that worked. “I can concur with that. I always enjoy waking up next to you. Even if you are still sound asleep.” It was going to be a surprise the day he was up before her but at least she might be able to talk to him about making her breakfast in bed. “I remember. You were much more interested in the college girls than the classes.” Him and Ollie both, which was not what she wanted to be thinking about.

Laurel snorted, “You could find some pretty creative excuses for things. But now you just need to knock.” Or walk in. She really needed to remember to lock the door even when she was here. Her apartment wasn’t the safest place. At one point the neighborhood had been, but like everything else in Starling City, it wasn’t as safe as it used to be. “Sounds fun? For who? I like my plans thank you very much.”

“While that is true, you also can’t work to your fullest potential if you don’t get enough sleep.” Although he knew Laurel well enough, she’d much rather spend as much time was possible helping clients, regardless of what was scarified in the end. Aiding others always came first in her book. “We could have it both ways, you get up and do your morning stuff but come back to bed so I can wake up with you next to me,” he offered in a light joking manner, knowing it was an unlikely scenario. “I can’t say your wrong about that. But even if I actually tried to pass any classes, my focus wouldn’t be there.” Back then Tommy was easily distracted and already too set in his own ways.