Post by adrini on Jan 19, 2014 0:49:55 GMT -5
Dinah recognized the rhythmic rapping on the hotel door. "It's Digs." Di rushed and opened the door. Diggle hurried inside, one hand near his piece.
"Are you two all right? Did anyone see you leave?" He locked the suite door after him.
"No indication so far," Ollie answered. Dinah walked over to the sofa and wrapped herself in a blanket.
"What happened?" Diggle said, noting that Dinah would need a break after the trip.
"I thought I would try to cheer Di up. There was a Blackhawks exhibit. Her mom was a Lady Blackhawk,” Oliver explained as he sat next to her and she curled into him. "It was great until the Ubermench showed up."
"Nazis will make sure we can't get a date. Nazis!" Dinah muttered. "Next thing we know we're facing fight or be squished, and there's this woman fighting with us. What was her name? Wonder Woman?"
“That’s what Thea’s told me. You know those superhero sighting blogs she follows,” Oliver said.
"We took the back entrance and changed nearby." Diniah continued. "Then we came here. We were going to do ice cream but I think an ice demon would attack us for no apparent reason."
"We'll stay in then,” Diggle said deadpan, only partially relieved as he checked the window. "There hasn't been any sign that Arrow or Canary were spotted. I'll tell Adrien everything’s clear for now. Anything I can get for you here?"
"We'll be fine." Ollie smiled at his wife. "Order a movie and some room service. No need to baby sit us."
"You had a hard day too." Dinah smiled back.
Diggle watched the two retire to their room, settling in the living room for a private evening of guard duty. As long as the police didn’t trace Green Arrow or Black Canary to the hotel, there wasn’t much reason to worry, but without much else to do, he put the football game on. It wasn't much of a break, but it was something.
A light knock at the door disturbed his calm. They weren't expecting anyone. He looked through the peephole and saw an old man with a cane. Seemingly innocent enough, but Diggle knew appearances could be deceiving. It was probably some senile old-timer who forgot his suite number, but Diggle was still careful, opening the door a few inches.
"Hello, sir. Can I help you find something?" he asked politely, though his unseen hand hovered near his sidearm.
"Indeed,” the old man said with a knowing smile. "I need to speak to Dinah Lance."
"I'm sorry, but are we expecting you?" The newlyweds hadn't mentioned anything.
"No,” the old man said without missing a beat, “but I’m a friend of the family.” The old man politely pushed Diggle out of the way, and stepped inside the hotel room. "Swanky place."
Diggle didn’t want to beat up an innocent old man, but this was intruding, and appearances could be deceiving. "I’m sorry sir, you’ll have to leave," Diggle placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder, wanting to take care of him with as little trouble as possible. After all, he could still just be an old man.
The world spun for a moment and Diggle was flat on his back, wondering what was going on.
"You should respect your elders,” the old man chuckled as he twirled his cane. Diggle hadn’t even caught the leg sweep. His misgivings about going too rough on the old man vanished. He reached for his gun, but the old man pinned his cane on the Diggle’s hand, preventing him from easily accessing his gun, “Now, I have this thing with firearms and them being pointed at me. They make me somewhat nervous.”
"Digs, what's going on- Di, stay back." Oliver walked out of the bedroom door and saw the scene. He stepped back to shield Dinah who was just behind him. "Digs?"
"Another 'friend' to visit Di." Diggle grunted. "State your name and business."
"I’d say you could use a better guard, but after that little display at the museum I’m not sure that’s the case,” the old man said mischievously. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause any trouble. As I said, I’m a friend of the family. Colonel Steve Trevor, I was a friend of your mother."
Dinah’s eyes widened. "Oh god, Diggle calm down. He's a friendly."
Diggle relaxed and Steve Trevor withdrew his cane, never losing his kindly old man demeanor.
“Wow, you really are your mother’s daughter. Look at you, all grown up. We didn’t get to talk much at the funeral. Sorry for not calling ahead, but I figured with all the commotion it might just be better for me to quietly look you up.”
“How did you find our room?” Oliver asked.
“You’d be surprised how many people take notice when a billionaire comes to town. Don’t worry, I don’t think many people have drawn the connection to your double life yet,” Steve explained.
“And you know because...?”
“Your mother and I worked together when the Blackhawks were still around. When our last Lady Blackhawk became Black Canary, it wasn’t difficult for the rest of the Hawks to put the pieces together. Your mother never did accept us being disbanded. Then of course her spitting image daughter would eventually take up the mantle.”
“I’ll get us some drinks. You want anything, Colonel? Beer? Water?”
“Tea if you don’t mind,” Steve replied with a smile, “and you could use an icepack.”
"What brings you to us?" Oliver asked, sitting down.
"Wanted to make sure you two got out alright. The local police don't like heroes. I owed it to your mother to see you got out safe."
Di looked down and smiled, Digs and Ollie took the cue and stayed steady.
"You'll have to tell me about her, I never got the privilege." Ollie said sadly. "I've heard wonderful things."
"She would have raked you over the coals before she let you near her little girl." The man chuckled, then sighed. "Our Di was a firecracker. One of the good ones. It was hard to loose her. We lost you to for a while to, Little Bird. You okay?"
"I needed to get away." Dinah sighed. "I'm alright now."
"There's more to the story then that, but I don't need to hear it." Steve nodded as she leaned into her husband. "If we're interested in some story time I have a few oldies I like telling. Hell, I was there when Di found out your wife here was on the way. Shock of her life."
"She never actually told me this story." Di smiled and sat on the sofa, the others followed suit. "When Dad tried to tell it she would punch him till he stopped."
"A state secret." Diggle laughed.
"Poor Di was always embarrassed by it. She had been out of it for months, little things. Getting times wrong, sleeping more then normal. She had been spending time in the poorer parts of Russia so no one thought anything of it."
"Flight fatigue, immune stress. Makes sense." Di nodded.
"Exactly what we all thought to. The mission ends and on the in processing she does the normal check up, regs and all. It was a different time, you only got pregnancy tests if you were married, and she and Lance had tied the knot almost a year before. She goes back to the hall, it's a museum now, and starts hanging with the crew. Next thing we know this nurse runs in and drags her back, we were pretty scared. There were nasty diseases in old USSR."
"Still are." Diggle nodded. "I got stories about that to."
"I'd believe it. So the crew camps out by the med bay, steeling ourselves. Running through everything we can think of. Keep saying we need to be strong for Lance, he lived for that woman. About an hour later she walks out with a look of absolute shock on her face and orders of relief in her hand. We were sure it was the end for her, Dave got misty eyed." Steve laughed.
"Uncle Dave got Teary?" Di giggled at the thought.
"This wasn't common?" Oliver asked.
"Dad broke his leg one year, Uncle Dave told him to walk it off." Di replied.
"That's Dave. She can't seem to speak to tell us what's wrong so one of us swipe the orders, and she's pregnant! Mind you this was in February and Little Bird here was born in June, and you can't tell there's anything going on. How the Drake women work I guess." The older man chuckled.
Di nodded slowly and looked at her husband who nodded as he pulled out his phone and contacted Roy. Diggle was looking wide eyed at the wall.
"I didn't mean to kill the conversation." Steve looked at the three. "Something wrong?"
"Not at all. Just reminded us of something." Oliver smiled easily, beaming slightly.
"Lance was over the moon. They had to hurry to get your nursery done in time but it was ready when she took you home. Poor things would look at you at first and still have to remember. They grew into it though." He looked at Di, who was looking at a pillow with great fascination. "You were the light of their lives, Di. Never doubt that you were loved."
"Robert and Moira were the same way, and Oliver was planned. It's always a shock." Diggle smiled to himself and shook his head.
>--)->
Bowstring walked into the Queen's house with Cissie next to him. He nodded at her eager look and smiled as she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' rooms.
The house was oddly quiet that day, but then he had arrived in the afternoon to meet with the lawyer. Most people were still working, they weren't home for game night yet.
"Bowstring, wish this was under better circumstances." Adrien welcomed him. "Ollie would be here himself but he and Di had a sudden appointment at the hospital, nothing bad."
"Good, they've been through enough. Did the lawyer look over the case?" Adrien nodded and led him into the office, an older gentleman sat at the table.
"Mr. Hale is our family lawyer, he helped us with Mia's custody and when we had to transfer Thea's guardianship." She motioned to a chair and took one herself.
"A lot of sad business as of late." The gentleman stood up. "Mr. Jones, sorry for your circumstances. The file is fairly think but I've looked over it."
"I know it's bad." Bowstring sat down. "She has always been very sharp."
"I'm glad I won't have to break that to you then." Mr. Hale joined the table. "She's claiming intolerable differences. Lack of support, division due to childcare. It's standard stuff but can be damning when it comes to property law."
"The house isn't much, and we never had much money for fine things. Mr. King covered training costs, we never could have afforded it." He brushed it off. "I only care about Cissie."
"That's why I called Mr. Hale. He's the best custody lawyer in the country." Adrien said. "He just has a few questions."
"Cissie King-Jones, age 16, and you say she has a strained relationship with her mother?" The lawyer asked.
"Just Jones, and I hate her." Cissie walked into the room. "Mom had me train for that gold for herself, she had to have it. She stopped being a mother as soon as she thought I might make it to the games. I want to stay with my father."
"I see, would you claim your mother was abusive?" Mr Hale took out his legal pad and looked at the teen. She joined them at the table.
"She tried to be. Dad would step in when it got that far, and she hated it. I know more as well." Cissie swallowed. "She made me promise not to tell anyone, but she's leaving anyway. She's been seeing someone, European. His name is Vertigo. Uncle Arthur introduced them, and gives them a place to meet. It's been going on for a few months now."
"Are you sure, Cissie? This is a serious charge, we'll need proof to back it up." Mr. Hale looked at Adrien. Bowstring looked crushed again.
"I'm sorry, Dad." She said softly. "I'm sure. She has a second account at our bank, funded from Uncle Authur. It's joint, her and Vertigo. They rent rooms at the Grand, and he's given her several pieces of fine jewelry. They'll still be at the house, if you want to have the court collect them. That should be all the proof you need. I don't care what she does now, so long as I don't have to go with her."
"I'll contact the police to pick them up, we'll look them over tomorrow." Mr. Hale closed his book. "If it checks out this will be much easier. Get some rest, Mr. Jones. Miss King-Jones, if you wish to adjust your name we can take care of that in the hearing. If there's nothing else."
"Get her." Cissie said, standing behind her father. "She has it coming."
>--)->
"You alright?" Oliver grabbed his wife's hand as they walked to the store. "You didn't say much at the doctors."
"No, not really." Di took her hand back and put it in her pocket. "This is too much, too fast. I'll need time."
"No one needs to be told." He nodded, it had been a whirlwind year and the craziest of it was yet to come. "It's just us for now, and Digs."
"Lips are sealed." The body guard said. "I get it. You look at humidifiers or something and I'll grab the list. We'll meet out here in half an hour."
"The story is that Thea has a cold. It's the season for it." He smiled and Di nodded before taking his hand after all. "Digs is just running errands for his sister."
"Who is expecting so it will even hold up." The man added. "Go, you two have talking to do."
He walked inside the store and Oliver pulled his wife over to a small courtyard, it was quiet and private.
"The doctor who put in the implant, did he know anything?" In truth he was just as shaken. The fort accident hadn't just threatened to take her away, also the future she carried. He had had no idea.
"She." Di corrected. "I just said I was tired of remembering everyday, and was told it worked well." Di sighed. "Evidently not. She didn't know anything."
"So it was just a sloppy job, then." She nodded.
"I swear, I didn't mean to trap you with anything, I did everything I said I did." She leaned over and looked at the ground.
"Do I look trapped?" He smiled, and held her hand. "It's sooner then we wanted but I'm getting a family with the most perfect woman in the world. I think I'll come to terms with it."
"Ya, ya." She smiled slightly and leaned into him.
"At least we know what's going on now." He kissed her head. "It's better then not knowing."
"The lovebirds, saw your manny go in for a trip. Give us time to talk." They looked behind to see Authur King walk up with a second man behind him.
"Mr. King, you've thought about my comment?" Oliver stood up, walking over. Di took a deep breath and followed, putting on the mask.
"I've decided you were correct, but we have other business to discuss." He motioned to his companion. "You gave a very prominent lawyer to Mr. Jones, it seems outside your concern."
"Returning a favor to him and his daughter. They've been helping us out with a problem as of late, terrible rumors." Oliver said evenly. "You understand. Bowstring was concerned about the custody settlement concerning Cissie. Having been in a similar situation with Mia we agreed to help."
"Ah, a misunderstanding. Cissie is free to choose who she stays with, of course. She's well old enough to know her mind." Mr. King nodded with some eagerness. "I can see his concern."
"I'm sure Mr. Jones and his lawyer will be elated to hear that." Di said warmly, in her role as the gracious Mrs. Queen. She grabbed her husbands arm and leaned on him. "As sad as this is that will make things that much easier."
"Indeed, I'll see he is notified." He nodded and the second man quietly walked away. "Was I interrupting something?"
"Nothing terribly important, just a few family issues. School is starting rather soon." Oliver smiled slightly. "It always changes the household."
"Very true, and with three students it will be eventful." Mr. King agreed. "I'll leave you to you're discussion." He nodded and walked away.
"Soon but not yet, he'll know soon." Di said softly. Oliver wordlessly walked behind her and pulled her close. She relaxed into him.
"Stay out of it. Till this is done you are pure support." She nodded. "I'm not risking either of you."
>--)->
"I knew it! You've been way too emotional." Jade pinned the map to the wall. "Don't shake your head at me, I've been there. I can talk."
"I guess the only shocked person in all this is me." Di sighed. "It still feels like a bad dream."
"What's bad about it? You wanted a house with a family, you're getting one." Jade stopped to look at her sister. "Happy ending and all that."
"I'm sure I'll get there." Di put the regional lists next to the map. "I kept being told that once the leg healed I could be normal again, get my life back. We have a storm building around us, I need to be on the front lines. But that isn't going to happen, that life is pretty much gone. You can't tell me you didn't go through something similar."
"Ya, but I was alone. It was scary as hell." Jade walked back to the desk and turned the program on. "Not so with you. Besides you're still you after having a kid, just a little changed. It's not a death sentence."
"If I'm alive to see it" Di said softly. " Speaking of kids, what do you think of getting yours away from the court? Janson and Adrien think they've found a way." Di started the tracking file and began directing supply shipments, anything to change the topic. Jade went quiet and leaned on the wall.
"Di, I swear to god, if you're pulling my leg-"
"I'm not, I swear." She smiled at her friend. "They've tracked down where Catman and your son are living, and honestly think they can get him out. Really it's up to your clearance when it's a go, they even have a volunteer."
"Who?" Jade looked at her wearily.
"It couldn't be anyone they knew, and Ollie is tracking the situation here with Adrien." Di sighed, the picture was looking bad. The worst part was she could tell they weren't telling her everything. It was going to be a bad time to be liability. "Roy said that if he's your son he is his son as well. I didn't know you two were so serious."
"We're getting there. I'll need to take him through a few things. The court knows all kinds of tricks." Jade took a breath.
"Well, so do we." Di smirked. Jade laughed.
With a loud beep the lights went out in the room and the soft green emergency lighting came on. Eyes wide Di ran to the door and put her code into the keypad, when the red light flashed she cursed.
"Oliver Jonas Queen!" Swiping her card only resulted in a repeat of the red light. "You ass!"
"Hey, calm down. You can't do that with-" Jade hurried to her.
"Say it and I scream at you." Di turned to her and glared before banging the door. "We're trapped. Who knows what's going on out there and the bastard locked me in here so I won't get a paper cut. What's next, bubble wrap?"
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"So in all the forecast for the agritech wing is very positive, and expected to be more so in the next quarter." The very professional Mr. Queen finished his presentation. "I assume there are questions?"
Oliver powered down his pointer and smiled at the room when his phone loudly started playing the code red alarm, other phones in the room soon followed suit. Looking at his phone it only said perimeter breach at a secondary facility.
"Ladies and gentleman, get your people home. We're done here." He hurried to the hall and saw Adrien and Diggle dashing out of the opening elevator, both pale.
"I saw alarm, where is- what?" Roy dashed off the elevator a moment later, fighting blind panic.
"Go, we need to go. Now, Ollie please." Roy pleaded with Diggle and his friend. "They're looking for them, and there's a map. Please."
"Digs?" Oliver looked his guard in the eye. "Tell me what's going on. Now."
"There's been an attack at the outreach. They've taken hostages. No one has been released." Digs swallowed. "They're looking for the girls. It's only a matter of time. I'm sorry."