Amber sat in a booth at Big Belly Burger with Oliver and Thea. She sat on the inside, next to her father and across from her aunt.
The whole restaurant was adorned with Christmas decorations, reminding Amber that she would have to endure the holidays without her mother. Again.
"I think there should be a national holiday for the guy who invented french fries," Thea said as she dipped one in ketchup. "Or at least a statue or something."
"There is no Christmas party, is there?" Oliver asked, referring to a conversation he had with Thea the previous night. His sister looked down in response. "Thea, Dad threw one of these every year. Do people think I just wasn't gonna notice?"
Thea straightened up, trying to think of something to say when she was luckily distracted by a young man coming up and greeting her.
"Hey, Thea."
"Ooh, boyfriend," Amber whispered when she saw her aunt's grin. Thea sent a discreet glare before putting her attention back on the guy.
"Hi. Shane." Thea smiled. "Uh, this is my brother, Oliver, and my niece, Amber." She introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Thea's brother and niece," Shane said in a way that made Amber roll her eyes. He was just given their names and couldn't be bothered to use them. "I bet the food on that island's better than the stuff they're serving here, huh?"
"You'd lose that bet." Oliver gave Shane a look that, if he'd paid attention, would've made him back away in fear.
Instead, Shane turned almost immediately to Thea. "We're heading down to the bay to hang out if you want to come."
"Thanks. But, uh, I'm spending the afternoon with my brother and niece." Thea glanced between Oliver and Amber, who smirked at Shane.
"Another time." Shane started walking away. "See ya."
Oliver turned to Thea. "How do you know that Shane guy?"
"We rob banks and smoke crack together." Thea joked.
"That's funny, Thea." Oliver scoffed. "I have a feeling I'm not gonna be a fan."
"You don't even know him," Thea argued.
"Well, technically he did just meet him." Amber pointed out.
"I didn't ask for your input." Thea waved a fry at her niece. "Let's change the subject."
"Fine." Oliver obliged. "You were gonna tell me why we're not having the annual Christmas party."
Thea sighed, sitting back in the booth. "When you and Dad disappeared... by the time Christmas rolled around none of us felt much like celebrating so we kind of skipped Christmas that year. Every year. And it's really fine, so..."
Oliver shook his head. "No. No, it's really not."
Amber glanced discreetly at her father. She could tell he had an idea brewing. She just hoped it wasn't gonna be Christmas.
* * *
"We're celebrating Christmas," Oliver announced to his family.
Amber inwardly rolled her eyes. Of course, he wanted to make a big deal about the holiday season.
"I went five years without it, and then Thea tells me that you guys didn't have it either and I'm the reason. So maybe now I can be the reason we have Christmas again."
Walter and Moira exchanged unreadable looks.
"I thought I would throw the Queen Christmas party," Oliver said.
"You?" Thea chuckled.
"I know that I haven't been the son or the stepson or the brother or the father or the co-parent that all of you deserve."
"That's a lot of ors," Jessica muttered under her breath.
Especially lately." Oliver continued. "But this-- this feels like the right moment to start making up for lost time. And Amber has never been to one of our Christmas parties."
"I'm really okay with that," Amber spoke up.
"Oh, come on. It's Christmas." Oliver countered.
"And I'm Jewish." Amber retorted.
Oliver took a second to take in the new information. "Okay. Holiday party then. What do you say?" He glanced between his family members.
"I say yes." Moira agreed.
"Yes! Okay." Oliver cheered. "I will take care of everything. You don't have to do anything. Just show up, look fantastic, and bring some Chris-- holiday cheer." He corrected himself. "Okay?"
"Okay." Moira nodded.
Oliver looked at Thea, silently asking for a response.
"Fine." She gave in.
"You're a good man, Oliver." Walter complimented. He was proud of his stepson for taking the initiative to do something to bring the fractured family together.
Once Oliver left to start the party planning, Jessica turned to Amber. "Speaking of the holidays, you got your wishlist for me?"
Amber perked up. "It's in my room." She lept off the couch and ran out of the room.
"Are you going to ask Amber about that thing we've been discussing?" Moira questioned suggestively
"Yes, actually." Jessica turned to Moira. "I was actually thinking of asking her now."
Thea looked between her mother and Jessica. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Jessica said. "I just gotta go have a chat with Amber." She turned away and left the parlor. She made it halfway to Amber's room when she found her barrelling down the hall.
"Got it!" Amber slowed to a stop, handing Jessica a sheet of paper with a long list of books she wanted.
"Great." Jessica smiled. "Come on." She wrapped an arm around Amber's shoulders and led her back to her room.
"Am I in trouble?" Amber asked, slightly worried.
"No, of course not." Jessica shook her head. She sat down on the couch in Amber's room, gesturing for Amber to sit next to her. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."
"You're not skipping the party are you?"
"No, I will be there. I promise. I was just wondering how you felt about Oliver having partial legal guardianship?"
Amber made a face. "What?"
"Moira and I have been talking and we both think that it's time for her to sign over her rights as your guardian back to Oliver."
"What does that mean?"
"Basically, it means that Oliver will be legally responsible for you. Along with me." Jessica explained.
"I still don't get it," Amber said.
"Okay, let me put it this way: you know how Moira and I signed a bunch of papers agreeing to share custody of you?"
"Yes."
"If Moira signs over her guardianship rights to Oliver, then he is the one who has to honor the agreement."
"So the only thing that changes is paperwork?" Amber asked.
Jessica paused, mulling over Amber's phrasing. "Actually, yeah. You're right on the mark."
"I am pretty smart," Amber replied smugly.
"Way to brag, kid." Jessica playfully slapped Amber's arm. "But seriously, what do you think?"
Amber thought for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. Nothing's changing, right?"
"Right." Jessica nodded.
"Then it's okay with me."
"All right. I'll let Moira know that her lawyer can get started on the paperwork." Jessica stood up. "Happy Hannukah, kid."
"Happy Hannukah."
* * *
The halls were overly decorated in Amber's opinion. She didn't realize that when her father said he was going to throw a party that he was also going to make the house scream Christmas.
"Amber, you look beautiful." Moira smiled at her granddaughter.
Amber blushed and glanced down at her navy blue dress. "Thank you. Thea actually helped."
Moira chuckled. "Of course she did."
"Oliver." Walter greeted his stepson.
"You guys look great. Merry Christmas." Oliver said. Amber started to correct him but he stopped her before she could open her mouth. "Happy Hannukah."
"Thanks," Amber replied.
"Let's get a holiday photo," Oliver suggested. He waved over a photographer.
"I've already sent out our Christmas cards, Oliver," Moira explained.
"Mom, let's get a picture just for the five of us." He asked.
"Of course." Moira gave in.
The complicated family gathered close in front of the photographer. When he left, Shane stepped forward with a large bouquet of flowers.
"Excuse me. Mrs. Queen? These are for you." He held them out to Moira.
"Well, thank you. I'll-- I'll go put this in water." Moira said.
Thea led Shane away shortly before Mora left. But not before she had a hushed conversation with Walter.
Amber scanned the room. She was in the middle of planning her exit strategy when she spotted her stepmom.
"Jess!" Amber ran over, attacking Jessica with a hug. "You made it."
"Hell, yeah." Jessica returned the hug. "I promised you that I'd be here. And I have a little something for you."
"Books?"
"Not yet. Here." Jessica handed Amber a festive gift bag.
"Mom's menorah?" Amber looked up at Jessica. "I thought we lost it."
"So did I. But I was digging through the old holiday decorations and I found it buried under a bunch of lights."
Amber grabbed Jessica's hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. "We gotta go light it."
"Hold on a second." Jessica stopped and reached into the gift bag. She pulled out a folded packet of paper. "You go ahead, I need to give this to your dad."
"Okay," Amber ran off.
"Don't touch the lighter!" Jessica called after her. "That was probably a bad idea."
Jessica walked back into the redecorated parlor. She spotted Oliver almost immediately standing at the other end talking to Laurel.
"Hey." Jessica smiled at them.
"Jess!" Laurel smiled and hugged her. "I can't believe you showed up."
"Well, I promised Amber I would so... here I am." Jessica glanced between Laurel and Oliver. "I'm not interrupting you guys am I?"
"No." Laurel shook her head.
"Not at all," Oliver said at the same time.
"Great. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jessica asked Oliver.
"Sure." He nodded and followed Jessica to a more secluded corner of the parlor. "Everything okay?"
"Merry Christmas." Jessica held out the papers to Oliver.
"Wow, paper," Oliver spoke in a teasing manner. "And I didn't get you anything."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Read it, asshole."
Oliver unfolded the packet, his eyes flickering over the top page. "Custody papers?"
"It was Moira's idea," Jessica said. "But it wasn't that hard to win me over. You're a good dad, Oliver. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of room for improvement."
"There it is." Oliver sighed. He knew that there was no way Jessica would compliment him without any sarcasm or snide remarks accompanying it. It just wasn't in her nature.
"But you'll get there," Jessica assured. "Eventually."
"Thank you, Jess."
"You're welcome."
* * *
Amber and Jessica had only just finished lighting up the menorah when Jessica got called into work. A new archer had been making his rounds in Starling City the past couple of nights and now he had kidnapped a whole bunch of people and was threatening to kill them off if the Hood didn't show.
Then, to make the night even worse, Oliver snuck away for a joyride on his motorcycle. A joy ride that ended in a wreck and landed him in the hospital. Now everyone was on their way to the hospital, which Amber hated. But she wasn't about to complain. Not while she was worried about her dad.
The family burst into Oliver's hospital room. Diggle, who had been standing beside Oliver's bed, stepped back so that he wasn't in the way.
"Are you alright?" Moira looked her son up and down worriedly.
"Oh, God, you look terrible," Thea commented.
"Well, thank God you were wearing your helmet," Walter said. Amber nodded in agreement.
"I told them how you were on a bike and a semi pulled right in front of you," Diggle spoke up.
"What were you even doing out?" Moira asked.
"You bailed on your party," Thea said.
"It seemed like the right move," Oliver answered painfully. "I mean, like you said, it wasn't the best timing."
Thea sighed. "Okay, but when I was saying that that was me being a bitch."
"Oh, the truth is I don't think any of us were at our best." Moira wrapped her arm around Thea.
"Speak for yourself." Amber blurted. "I was delightful."
The room busted into laughter at the blonde girl's comment. Oliver clutched his ribs, groaning.
Moira put a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "We're going to let you get some rest, hmm?"
"Feel better, Dad," Amber said. Everyone went silent, staring at her. Oliver smiled, feeling an enormous sense of pride. For the first time in months, he felt like a real father.
"W-what was that?" Thea tilted her head at Amber, smiling playfully.
Amber rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you guys didn't have any bets going."
"We don't." Walter shook his head. "Although, Thea did try to start one."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Amber sassed.
Moira chuckled at her granddaughter. "All right, let's go for real." She left the room after one last goodbye with Amber and Walter going with her.
A/N: Oliver and Jessica are officially co-parents. I can already tell that I'm gonna have too much fun with this.