The SCPD were soon at the crime scene, the detective duo that were Quentin Lance and Lucas Hilton scanning the area while Helena examined the bodies for answers.
'This is one strange crime scene, I'll tell you that,' Quentin opened our conversation as I entered the office, his face crumpled as he tried to figure out everything. 'Why would the copycat archer kill this Rosenburg's murderer? I know he's connected to Merlyn Global somehow, and now he kills someone from that exact place, but we thought that he was helping them, not against them.'
'Maybe he just gets a thrill from murder,' I supposed, trying to cover up any knowledge I or the SCPD had of Malcolm being the archer. 'Or maybe he came by to kill Samuel and because he couldn't, killed the other guy in anger?'
'Pride,' Quentin concluded with a nod. 'Like little kids fighting over who gets to play with murder.'
'Exactly!' I nodded a bit over the top. 'The guy's a psycho, he's probably just killing innocent people at random.'
'Anyway, enough of that, how are you?' Quentin checked in with me. 'You did just witness a double homicide and could've got caught up in the crossfire yourself.'
'It's not like I haven't seen stuff like this before,' I reminded the detective, but I quickly filled in the gaps before any more questions arose. 'I worked at the SCPD for a long time, I've seen worse. And I'm alive.'
'Still, it's okay to be scared,' Quentin smiled at me with sympathy, feeling sorry for me. 'You always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, don't you, Miss Coleman?'
'You're right about that,' I laughed nervously, knowing fully well that I had been in too many of these situations, and that some clever detective would soon join up the dots and realise who really killed Samuel Rosenburg. 'Do you mind if I go talk to Tommy? He's... Pretty shaken up.'
'That's fine, your boyfriend needs you right now,' Quentin nodded, knowing something I had definitely not told him.
'How do you-?' I almost gasped.
'I'm a detective, Aria, if it's obvious, I'm gonna know,' he chuckled, but that just scared me more; would Quentin be able to figure out what really happened at the crime scene too?
Finally having come to terms with everything, I didn't hold back as I hugged Tommy tightly, it being the only right thing to do. He looked back at me after I withdrew, a confused look on his face.
'I thought you would hate me, after what happened,' he whispered, leading me outside where no cops could hear us. 'I just... You know, and you hugged me?'
'I was shocked, and scared of you, frankly,' I explained, not holding back on this either. 'Now I understand why you reacted to me like you did when you found out I was... Her. But, because of what you did, we're safe from any threats or danger, just like when I shot the Dodger for the same reasons. You're a hero, Tommy, not a villain, and please remember that when you think about today. In the past, I have tortured myself about what crimes I committed, but now when I think of them, I know I did it all to protect the people I love and save this city. Just, please don't make this a habit, okay?'
'I won't,' Tommy smiled, looking slightly less upset. 'I told the police that the masked dude shot Rosenburg and then the copycat archer took the masked dude's life as an eye for an eye thing. Oh, what did you say? I really hope we didn't give two different stories, because-'
'Don't worry, I did, more or less,' I immediately reassured Tommy. 'You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.'
'Tommy, Aria,' Malcolm appeared opposite us, his face obviously contorted with mixed feelings. 'I got a message from reception that the SCPD swung by on account of double homicide. I think you better come with me upstairs, you must be so shaken up.'
Oh, but Malcolm's voice didn't sound caring or concerned, not really. And Tommy had also picked this up, the colour draining from his face.
'How could you do this, Tommy?' He yelled, completely shocked and angry at his son's actions. 'Sam was my friend!'
'I'm sorry, dad, I-' Tommy trembled, but Malcolm was now turning to rage.
'You can't kill a man in cold blood!' He carried on, seeing red. 'I know you hated his guts, but that doesn't make him qualify for death!'
'Malcolm, please, calm down,' I intervened, Malcolm actually listening to me for some reason. 'Your supposed friend had threatened us and you in a very recent meeting, and he wanted to take over Merlyn Global. He was going to take you down, friend or no friend, and he was going to make our lives awful.'
'That's why I did what I did, dad,' Tommy walked up to his father as soon as he really had calmed down. 'I couldn't watch him hurt you or Aria. I love you both too much for that.'
'I see,' Malcolm's voice had changed to a more reserved, happier tone. 'And I understand, son. I think I feel a little... Proud of your actions today.'
'Thanks, dad,' Tommy bowed his head as I watched this psychotic family communicate.
I guess I understood now why I fit in so well with them.
---
'So, who have we got to talk to today?' I asked Tommy as soon as I entered the office, trying to act as if nothing happened, as if everything was normal, as if Tommy hadn't murdered Samuel and we were trying to cover up the whole thing.
'Some international calls, a few standard businessmen, and...'Tommy stopped as he looked down the itinerary. 'Oliver Queen?'
'Are you sure it isn't... Typed incorrectly or something?' I tried to explain what Tommy had just read. 'Someone else, like, er, Olivia Dean?'
'I don't think any Olivia Dean is interested in seeing us,' Tommy told me, quietly laughing.
'Are you sure you didn't have a fling with some Olivia when you were that irresponsible young billionaire?' I suggested. 'Some girl I should be worried about?'
'Seriously, you're jealous of a fictional girl you created yourself?' Tommy was now properly laughing at me.
'I'm sure that's how authors with characters of action heroes and rich protagonists feel,' I commented with a shrug. 'I wrote a book once, actually. Well, I didn't complete it, but it was going to be the greatest revival of Sherlock Holmes the world had ever seen. Then the program Sherlock aired and I now kick myself every time I see how successful that show has become.'
'Why didn't you finish it?' Tommy questioned me, interested in my creative past.
'Time,' I answered vaguely, but really it was because Malcolm Merlyn hadn't had the courtesy to abduct my notebook along with myself when we first met. 'Anyway, enough about my sad end to writing, I really need coffee, like now.'
'Go ahead, I'm sure you won't want to meet Olivia Dean when she comes by,' Tommy smirked. 'Take as long as you want.'
And so I did, the weather being particularly nice that day, calling for a long stroll through the scenic part of the city. I knew that really I should've been waiting with Tommy for the dreaded visit from Oliver - of course I was clever enough to figure that our guest was, in fact, the one and only Oliver Queen - but I knew I couldn't face him again without becoming The Hulk or crying uncontrollably. I had so many grudges against Oliver, so much anger directed at him, that I knew I was going to flip one way or the other. For so long, he had been a person I could trust, especially when we were in great peril, whether it be washed up on an island, held captive on a freighter, or fighting in a city. And then, he had somehow made me fall for him, complicating our relationship and giving me some glimmer of hope I could never have. And even after all that, he became a controlling, antagonising man I should've never trusted, should've never loved, and didn't try to right his wrongs as I left him for good.
I sat in Jitters for a while, thinking about things, trying to slow down for once. I had been so overwhelmed, running on overdrive, worrying about everything that had and was happening to me, but now, I could finally stop. I used to look at the world around me and appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, whether it be the interesting architecture of the many buildings of the city or the trees in Starling Park, but now, I had grown accustomed to looking inwards at mine and everyone else's problems and let worry consume me. I needed to stop all that and appreciate what I had instead of dwelling on what I'd lost. I could start afresh; live my life how I wanted, do the things I wanted to do. Talking about my writing to Tommy, something I had forgotten about after being so wrapped up in everything else as soon as I was relocated to Central City, had made me realise that I wasn't living my life and that I so easily let my hopes and dreams dissolve into wasted potential. Maybe I was actually getting the hang of this thing called life for once, or maybe it was because my latte was so damn good.
Snapping out of my daydream, real life hit me, and although what I wished for sounded lovely, I still had a lot of things I needed to sort out first if this dream was to become reality. I was so scared about getting back to work, back to Oliver. I could wait it out some more, but Oliver had probably been and gone and it would be unfair to leave Tommy all on his own to deal with other clients and calls. You'd think an SCPD-and-assassin trained, murderous vigilante would be able to deal with something as small as speaking to a past friend or not letting her troubles control her, but I was an emotional wreck, after all. I probably needed to see a psychologist, or therapist, or perhaps Adrian Chase again, but I couldn't face any of that again.
I really hated confrontation.
However, to my dismay, Oliver really was there in the office when I got back, having an intense conversation with Tommy from what I could see when I opened the door and interrupted them. I had really bad timing, but I had even worse rage.
'Oliver?' I refrained from growling at him, although I really wanted to. 'Why are you here, at all?
'I came here to speak with Tommy, and now you too,' Oliver explained weakly. 'I didn't know you worked here.'
'You made it pretty clear where you stand with Tommy and I, and even Malcolm,' I ignored him obviously. 'So, you don't need to pretend to want to talk to us. I think you should leave, according to the clock our ten minute appointment is nearly over, and I'm sure a real client will be waiting to meet with Tommy.'
'Aria-' Oliver attempted to argue his way out of what he had done to Tommy and I, but I wasn't having any of it.
'I think you should leave, Oliver,' I told him shortly. 'We both know what I'm capable of when I'm angry, and I don't want to lose my job again.'
Getting my message loud and clear, Oliver turned and walked towards the door, before looking back at us, looking slightly confused.
'What exactly do you do here?' He inquired, not caring to be polite.
'We work closely with my father,' Tommy ended his confusion, Oliver shooting back a very strange, dismayed smile, almost as though he was trying not to tell us something but didn't want to anyway.
Whatever it was, I didn't care. I never wanted to see his face again.
'Why was he here?' I was now about to explode. 'How can he show his face after everything he's put us through? I cannot believe him!'
'Aria, Aria, he's gone now,' Tommy put his hands on my arms in an attempt to steady me, but I couldn't stop shaking. 'Trust me, I'm as pissed as you are, but what's the point in getting angry?'
'Because he- he-' I caught myself actively calming down. 'Somehow, I'm okay now, but I really wanted to punch him right on the nose there and then.'
'Now he's gone, we can just forget about him,' Tommy proposed with a great idea. 'Everything is back to normal now, we're back to normal now.'
'I don't think we were ever normal,' I commented sarcastically, but I was right.
I was screwed up, Tommy had just murdered someone the day before, and we lived with an assassin. We were definitely not the definition of normal.
'Maybe you're correct,' Tommy agreed. 'But what is normal? Oliver certainly isn't normal; he's the freaking Hood! Do I even know anyone 'normal'?'
'Laurel's normal,' I realised, a sudden sense of sadness entering my mind.
Since I had re-entered Tommy's life after the island, I had complicated Tommy's relationship with Laurel, my final act being to break them up. Tommy had told me time and time again that he loved me when he was with Laurel, so if I had just died in the Gambit's crash, they would've stayed a couple and Oliver would've gotten what he deserved, pining for someone he could never be with. But I had to come along and destroy everything.
'I don't even know why I'm talking like this, Aria,' Tommy continued, sounding quite upset. 'I don't need anyone else in y life except you, you know that right?'
I nodded, but refrained from speaking so Tommy could carry on.
'But, this grudge against Ollie is kinda tiring me out. It's not the most fun of things, you know. And Laurel... I should've never gotten angry at her like I did. I ruined even the possibility of being friends with her, and I can't fix what I broke.'
I felt so bad for him. It was obvious that Oliver and Laurel were still important to him, but he thought he had completely messed up regarding his relationship with them. But I knew that wasn't the case. I needed to help him.
'Tommy,' I started sympathetically. 'Do you remember what we were like, a month ago, maybe not even that? We hated each other, like really hated each other! But, we persisted. We decided to make it right. And if we hadn't done that, where would we be now? Iknow it might be hard to become friends with Oliver straight away, but Laurel wasn't as half as hard to get along with. Maybe you just need to press the restart button and try to build something with Laurel, no matter how big or small your relationship will become.'
'I think I should talk to her,' Tommy concluded with a look of regret on his face as he took in everything I said with an approving nod. 'I didn't explain to her, really, why I left her. It's not fair if she never finds out.'
'That's very mature of you, Tommy,' I smiled at him, attempting to reassure that this plan would go smoothly and to cover up my own regrets. 'She deserves to know, and I think you will feel satisfied at last if you talk to her, even for a minute.'
'Thank you for being so understanding, Aria,' Tommy hugged me as he departed from the office, I staying behind to deal with some of the paperwork I hadn't done while I had procrastinated in Jitters.
After some time had passed, I heard a buzz on Tommy's desk, it vibrating loudly against the chrome surface. Sighing, I picked the device up, but it had stopped ringing once I had. I didn't recognise the number, but it could be important, and Tommy needed his phone. I was going to have to take a trip to Laurel's apartment too.
Rushing towards her home as quickly as I could, I found Tommy a few streets away from the block we were headed, his expression determined as he walked in the dusk of the evening. I ran up to him, holding his phone out in front of me so that was the first thing he saw.
'Aria, why do you have my phone?' He wondered, oblivious.
'You left it on your desk,' I shook my head at him while I quickly caught my breath. 'You're a businessman now, you need to remember your phone all the time.'
'I will now,' he grinned, but his nervousness was showing behind his facade.
'Are you alright?' I asked him as we walked along the pavement. 'You know, you don't have to do this. Laurel would understand, I'm sure.'
'No, I have to,' Tommy disagreed definitely. 'If I don't, I may never see her again, even as an acquaintance.'
'Fair enough,' I nodded, seeing where Tommy was coming from. 'It's good to have friends.'
'And, don't worry, I won't tell her about us if you don't want me to,' Tommy added kindly. 'This is only the first step in having Laurel back in my life, and yours too. You can come along, if you want.'
'Oh, no, I don't think that would be a good idea, Tommy,' I stated truthfully. 'I don't want to step on your toes, and you need to talk to Laurel alone so she knows you really mean what you're saying.'
I also didn't want to get upset for ruining Laurel's life in her apartment when Tommy was trying to make it up to her. There would be so many mixed signals and questions to be asked.
Turning to the block of apartments, Tommy took a deep breath as we looked up to the window of Laurel's apartment in anticipation.
'You're going to be okay, Tommy,' I said as I took his hand. 'I know this is going to be one of the hardest things you've done, but-'
I stopped as I spotted Laurel in the window with a familiar face intertwined with her, the two passionately kissing each other like nothing else mattered in the world. Oliver was with Laurel, something I had hoped to never see with my own eyes over jealousy, or envy, or something. Tommy had also witnessed the affair, his face ridden with utter betrayal. And I couldn't blame him.
I had hoped to see Oliver's face no times that day, yet I got to see him twice. Lucky me.