Hours and hours later, Oliver finally returned to the Queen Mansion. Yet, instead of heading straight toward his worried family, he made a beeline toward the stairs.
If only he could've made it up to his room before Laurel came into the foyer. "Where were you?" she asked.
Oliver turned around, exhausted. "What?" He sighed. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard about the shooting and I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"You did?"
"Yeah." Laurel nodded. "I knocked on the door, and I found a family terrified for you. They had no idea where you were."
Oliver walked down to the last step, leaning against the wooden pillar at the base of the staircase. "Oh."
"Oliver, are you so self-centered that you don't think that people who care about you are gonna wonder about where you are after you all got shot at?" Laurel questioned.
"You're right."
"I made peace with your selfishness a long time ago. But Moira, Thea, Walter, and Amber they don't deserve that. They deserve better. Someone who doesn't care only about himself." Laurel said before walking toward the front door.
"Laurel." Oliver paused, choosing his words carefully. "Thank you for coming."
"I care about the lives of other people, Oliver. Maybe you should try it sometime." Laurel turned and left.
"Damn." Jessica's voice sounded from behind Oliver. "That was brutal."
"Whatever you're going to say, just don't." Oliver turned toward Jessica. "I've already been taken to the woodshed twice tonight."
"What, you think I'm gonna chew you out too?"
"It's kind of your thing."
Jessica shrugged. "Normally, yes. But, I'm feeling nice tonight."
"You know how to be nice?" Oliver teased.
"Shut up." Jessica rolled her eyes. "Look, I understand more than anyone in this house that sometimes, in the midst of a chaotic mess, crap happens. You get turned around in the crowd, you lose your phone, it gets broken, it dies... virtually anything can happen. But you still need a way to contact your family. I, for example, always keep a burner phone on me as a backup."
There was a moment of silence before Oliver decided to respond. "I thought you hated me."
"I never hated you, Oliver. I... I was just scared of losing Amber." Jessica explained. "I thought you were gonna come in and demand full custody and that I wouldn't see her anymore. Lucky for me, you turned out to be an idiot and not an ass."
Oliver chuckled. "There it is."
"I don't do sentiment. I kinda had to throw in that last sentence." Jessica cracked a smile.
"I wouldn't do that, though." Oliver turned serious. "You mean a lot to Amber and I wouldn't do anything to interfere with that."
"Thanks," Jessica said. Another silence fell between the two, only this time it felt more awkward. "So." Jessica cleared her throat. "Look into that burner phone idea."
"I will."
"Great." Jessica gave an awkward thumbs-up before finally leaving.
* * *
For the first time in a while, Jessica was called away to a crime scene and unable to drive Amber to school. So, for the first time ever, Amber needed to ask for a ride from her father and his bodyguard, Diggle.
As Amber jogged down the stairs, assuring Jessica over text that she would get a ride to school, she heard chatter in the parlor. She walked in, finding her father, grandmother, and a man she'd never met before spread out across the room.
"We have a visitor," Oliver said, looking at the stranger.
"Hm. Mr. Diggle's replacement." Moira flipped through her newspaper.
"Replacement?" Amber asked, making her presence known.
"Yes. He tendered his resignation this morning." Moira revealed.
"Did he say why?" Oliver asked.
"He said he didn't approve of the way you spend your evenings. Particularly given that they always begin with you ditching him." Moira gave her son a disappointed look.
Amber crossed her arms, glaring at her dad. "So this is all your fault."
Oliver rolled his eyes, ignoring his daughter. "Hi." He looked to the replacement.
"Mr. Queen." The replacement stepped forward. "Rob Scott. I'll be your new body man." He shook Oliver's hand.
"That's a firm grip you got there, Rob," Oliver commented.
"That's five years SWAT with Monument Point MCU," Rob informed.
Oliver nodded. "I feel safer already."
"Thank God we don't have to hear about that awful man anymore." Moira took a sip of her coffee as she watched the tv.
Oliver grabbed the remote, raising the volume.
"Declan's execution is set for midnight two days from now." The news reporter informed. "Camille Declan's former employer, Jason Brodeur, released a statement saying, quote, 'I hope this gives Camille the peace she deserves'."
"Jason Brodeur?" Oliver asked as if checking to make sure he heard the tv right.
"What?" Moira looked up at her son.
"The dead wife worked for Jason Brodeur." Oliver clarified.
"Apparently so. What... Why?" Moira asked.
"Probably because he's a dirty rich scumbag that just condoned what should be an illegal practice that is being used to rectify the death of an innocent woman which doesn't do anything except stop him from redeeming himself." Amber ranted, earning confused stares from Oliver, Moira, and Rob. "Jess has very strong feelings about the death penalty." She explained.
"Where is Jess?" Oliver asked, glancing around. "Shouldn't she have already picked you up for school?"
"Someone got murdered," Amber said. "So can you take me?"
"Yeah. Of course." Oliver nodded, turning to Rob. "Rob. Could you please get the car for me?"
"No offense, Mr. Queen, but I have been filled in on your tendency to slip the leash," Rob said. "If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer keeping you in my sights at all times."
"We're twenty miles from the city. If you don't drive us, how else am I gonna get Amber to school?" Oliver questioned.
Rob pursed his lips, stiffly nodding as he realized the stupidity behind his words and left to get the car.
"I like him," Oliver smirked. "Amber, you ready to go?"
"Yeah." Amber jogged to catch up with her father, expecting for them to leave through the front door but Oliver went a different way. "Uh, where are you going?"
"The garage." Oliver opened the door to said room, going straight for his bike. He picked up two helmets, handing one to Amber. "This should fit you."
Amber stared at the helmet with mixed emotions. "No."
"No?" Oliver furrowed his eyebrows.
"Do you know how dangerous motorcycles are?" Amber asked. "You're like ten times more likely to get into a deadly crash while on a motorcycle than in a car."
"That's not true," Oliver argued.
"Yeah, it is. Google it."
"I know how to drive a motorcycle, Amber. Come on, it'll be fun."
"I doubt that."
"It's either the motorcycle or Rob."
Amber glanced between the helmet and the bike. She wasn't sure why but she didn't like Rob at all. "Give me the helmet."
* * *
Much to her surprise, Amber loved riding on the motorcycle. It felt like riding a roller coaster, except she didn't get motion sickness from the motorcycle.
When they finally reached the school, Amber slid off the bike, shaking with excitement. "That was awesome!"
"I told you it would be fun." Oliver chuckled.
"You were right." Amber groaned dramatically, popping her helmet off. "Can you pick me up after school?"
"Absolutely." Oliver smiled.
"Thanks." Amber handed her helmet to her father. "School ends at 2:30. Don't be late."
"I won't."
"Bye!" Amber waved before running off into the school building.
Oliver watched her go with a smile. Being a father was never a thought that crossed his mind. Especially before the island.
Back then he just lived in the moment, not giving the future a single thought. Then when he came back, he thought he was too damaged to be a dad. But here he was, trying his best and it seemed to work.
A/N: Short chapter this week but next week's will be longer. I'm getting better at writing longer, less choppy chapters I swear.