Finally Home

Chapter 25

I watched from the darkness as Oliver sat by the dying fire. Someone once so familiar, comforting to be around, seemingly now my biggest fear. I thought he was dead, I left him. He surely hated me for it. What was I supposed to do, wait for the man to come back? I'd be found, possibly hurt. I needed to make my presence known. Cleared my throat, causing Oliver to jump, and I walked out of the shadows. I averted my eyes from Oliver, afraid to make eye contact.

"(Y/n)." Oliver's soft voice, seeming as though he thought I wasn't real.

I made eye contact giving a slight nod. He walked closer, placing a hand slowly on my shoulder. With the conformation that I was real, he pulled me into a hug. Tears streaming down his face and mine as well.

~~

"I should add personal internet researcher for Oliver Queen to my job title." Felicity said, typing away.

She worked at Queen Consolidated and seemed to know her way around the virtual world. Oliver's been getting assistance from her for a while now. As much as it bugged me that he didn't say anything about it, I knew I've done the same to him. There was something else though. Ever since the police arrested us, he's been distant. Almost like he's guilty, but for what?

"Happily, I mean." Felicity added looking at Oliver.

Quirky, I like her. Something in her look at Oliver led me to believe she liked him, but who wouldn't. His blue eyes could capture anyone at any given moment. I trust Oliver with every fiber of my being he would never betray that trust.

"His name is Derek Reston. We were close before I went away. And I wanna get back in touch." Oliver said.

"I guess you didn't have Facebook on that island." Felicity quipped.

"Nope, not even a Myspace account. It was a very dark time." Diggle broke his silence.

"Well, there's not much here that's recent. No credit activity. No utility bills." Felicity paused, clicking a few buttons. "Well, I guess you guys must have met at the factory."

"Wait, what factory?" Oliver asked leaning forward.

"The Queen Steal Factory. Derek Reston worked there for 15 years until it shut down in '07." Felicity answered, confusion spreading on her face.

"Derek Reston worked for my father?" Oliver questioned, not making the situation any better.

"You weren't really close friends, huh?" Sarcasm laced Felicity's voice. "Looks like Derek was the factory Foreman until your dad outsourced production to China. About 1500 employees got laid off. Looks like the finance guys even found a loophole in the union contract, so they didn't have to pay severance packages and pensions to their employees. They all pretty much lost their homes. Including your friend."

With that we left.

"The Restons just got home after five years. Those factory guys hung out at a bar after work. I'm going down there, hopefully Derek Reston wants to take a stroll down memory lane." Oliver said, as we entered the elevator.

"And if by some miracle, Reston's there?" Diggle asked.

"I'm gonna give him the chance to do the right thing." Oliver answered.

"He already had his chance to do the right thing. It's called not being a criminal."

"This is happening because of my father. Because of my family."

"No. You're worried about the wrong thing. It's not your fault. The Restons aren't the victims."

"My family stole from this city. They hurt the people in it. And I'm hell-bent on making that right. For Derek Reston, that means giving him the chance to make it right."

I stayed silent, it seemed as though both men had forgotten I existed. It wasn't my place to say anything. This was Oliver's crusade, Oliver's family, I was just tagging along. Diggle however didn't see it that way. That's probably why I like him so much. He isn't afraid to speak up, to question.

~~

While Oliver was at the bar he managed to slip a voice recorder into Derek's pocket.

"I've been thinking, baby, maybe you were right." Derek's voice came through the computer in front of us. "Maybe it's time to hang up, retire."

"But Kyle says we do one more or he'll go on his own." A female voice answer, I assumed she was Mrs.Reston.

"Well, if that's what he wants to do, then that's his right but you and me and Teddy, we're out." Derek pushed.

"I want to quit, too, but I am not leaving without Kyle." Mrs.Reston held her stance.

Diggle walked in.

"What's this?"

"Oliver dropped a bug in Derek Reston's jacket." I responded.

"I thought you were going to give the man a second chance." Diggle said, looking at Oliver.

"That's what I believe in. I also believe in covering all my bases." Oliver clicked a button on the computer.

"Derek, we can't abandon our son." Mrs.Reston sighed. "After all this time, he wants to end up a winner. Set for life. Otherwise what was the point?"

"Alright. One more." Derek folded.

"Now what?" Diggle asked.

"We take them down." Oliver answered.

~~Hi, Fallen_Angel here. I have big plans coming up, and I'm super excited to write it. Anyway, have a good day. Be good people.~~