The Mantle of the Canary: Watching Sara Lance

The Promise (2x15) part 1

The memory set opened right where the last left off. As Slade dropped his hand, a still stunned Oliver asked the first question that came to mind.

"What are you doing here?"

Moira, misunderstanding, frowned at her son. "Mr. Wilson just made a sizeable contribution to my campaign." She told him, walking back over to the two men.

Tommy frowned. "I thought he was backing Blood."

"Do you honestly think he cares who is mayor?" Laurel asked him.

"Good point."

"How generous of him." Oliver's voice was raspy, still shocked by the return of his old friend.

"Well, I felt compelled." Slade said with a pleasant smile. "It was the least that I could do for your mother. And what this city needs is a pro-business mayor like Moira to spread growth through urban investment."

"And we were just discussing how to combat the rising wage gap." Moira added.

"And the answer lies in your budget proposal." Slade said. He moved away from Oliver, walking around Moira and putting a 'friendly' hand on her shoulder.

"It's probably best I don't know about all of this." Thea growled. She would have ended up injuring herself trying to keep Slade away from her mother.

"You know, when I look at your mother, I think about everything that you went through after the quake." He started. "All I can say is, you and I have something in common." He told her.

"What's that?" Moira asked.

"I know how difficult it is to pick yourself back up when other people have written you off." He said honestly.

"This asshole." Tommy scoffed. For starters Oliver wasn't a maniac.

Moira shot a look to her son. "Indeed." She agreed.

Slade looked at Oliver with mock concern. "What's wrong, Mr. Queen? You look a little piqued."

"I'm fine, thank you." Oliver lied, desperately trying to compose himself.

"You're a really horrible liar." Alex noted. How had this man managed to hide this secret?

Moira smiled as a maid wheeled in the drink cart. "Ah, thank you, dear." Moira said happily. "Oliver, Mr. Wilson was kind enough to bring a bottle of authentic Australian rum." She said. Oliver looked down at the cart- the bottle of Reuther Rum, the glasses, the ice bucket-

The ice pick.

"He's going to attack him with the ice pick isn't he?" Barry frowned knowing the answer already.

"Probably."

"Will you join us in a drink?" Moira asked, oblivious to the tension.

"Yes, of course." Oliver said.

"Wonderful." Slade said. He prepped three glasses with a finger of rum.

"Don't drink it!" Thea exclaimed randomly.

"Why?" Moira asked confused.

"Poison."

"What is it with you and poison?" Oliver sighed.

"What shall we drink to?" Moira asked as he handed her a glass.

Slade handed one to Oliver, than raised his own. "To friendship." He declared. He and Moira took a sip; Oliver followed a moment. All three were silent as the rum went down.