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“How could I say no to the man who saved my sister’s soul?” Laurel says, and she smiles, hugging Ollie for the first time in what feels like forever. But when he moves away his smile has faded a bit.
“To be honest… after everything that's happened, all these years – I put you and your family through a lot,” Oliver says. “And when you think about it like that… really, it was the least I could do.
Laurel shakes her head. “Well, I could not be more grateful.”
Oliver places his hand on her shoulder at that. “I'm the one who should be grateful. You reminded me today that you love my family, that you always have. And honestly I've never properly thanked you for that.”
She raises her eyebrows, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk. “What do you mean?”
“I mean – earlier today, Thea told me how when my mother was on trial for the Undertaking, you had gone to her and told her you had evidence about Merlyn. You risked getting disbarred for my family, Laurel, and I didn't even know.”
“You weren't supposed to,” Laurel says slowly. “How did you – how did that even come up in conversation with Thea?”
Sitting down behind his desk, Ollie grimaces. “She – hired a PR guy. Alex. And he said that because of our… history, it was best for me to distance myself from you.”
“So why did you invite me here?”
“Because. My sister reminded me that I'll always need you in my life. That there's no point in me running for mayor if I kicked my oldest friend to the curb in the process.”
They share a smile at that and it's almost like old times. “I wasn't even going to tell Thea – we were having a girly night one day and it just… came out.”
And at this Oliver smiles. “That's the other thing. You've always been there for Thea, too. Even – especially when I was away.”
“You mean when you were in Ivy Town.”
“Not just then,” Oliver replies. “No, I meant –” But for some reason he hesitates.
“Ollie? What is it?”
“Just – I know I haven't ever told you much about what happened to me the five years I was away.”
“And I always said you didn't have to,” Laurel replies instantly. But he soldiers on nevertheless, taking a deep breath and steeling himself before speaking.
“I wasn't on the island the whole time,” Ollie says. “I was in Hong Kong, and Russia at one point. And for about a day I was – in Starling City. Before I came back.”
Maybe it’s because she hasn't slept much lately (what with her resurrecting Sara and then helping get her soul back and also being the Black Canary and ADA at the same time – suffice it to say she hasn't exactly had much downtime) but her brain doesn't quite register what he says for a good few seconds.
“You – you came back here?”
“It's a mile past complicated,” Ollie says apologetically, “but the short answer is yes. It was just after Tommy's birthday. And the first person I saw was Thea. She was… buying drugs from some dealer, and then I saw Tommy, and he – he said how for the first time he was glad I was gone, because it meant that I wouldn't see my baby sister like that.”
Laurel exhales slowly, her heart becoming heavy at the mere thought of Thea as barely a teenager but already with the wrong crowd. At the same time she can't quite meet Ollie's eyes at the mention of Tommy, like it's always been since he died.
“Why are you telling me this?” she whispers finally.
“Because,” Ollie says, “later on that day, I saw you and Thea at Tommy's party. And I don't know what I was expecting, exactly, but – you were still checking up on her. Even after all that time. You didn't need to be in her life, not after everything that happened with me and Sara, but you did, because that's just the kind of person you are.”
“I mean,” Laurel says, but now with the beginnings of a smile back on her lips, “I wasn't there for her enough. God knows – I only knew about the drugs because of Tommy, and it's not like he of all people could stage an intervention or anything.”
“You were there for her,” Oliver insists, “while I wasn't. You and Tommy. And I'll never be able to thank you enough for that.”
“I think you just did,” Laurel tells him with a smile, and he chuckles. “Listen, Ollie, I know things have been… strained with us. Ever since Sara died, to be honest.”
“For the record,” he says, “I need to get better at showing it, but I do see you as an equal. And… I know how much you've been there for the people I love. Not just Thea but Felicity and Diggle, too. You've been there for them when I've let them down, and that is something I wish I thanked you for more.”
“Trust me. You've more than made up for it after everything that's happened today.”
“Well, I know for a fact that if Tommy were here, he would be proud of the hero you've become.”
And suddenly there's a lump in her throat and her eyes fill with tears. She looks away from him, though, and wipes them away quickly. “Sorry, I just…”
“I get it,” Ollie says softly. “He was my hero too.”
She gets to her feet now, and he hugs her fiercely, and somehow the fact that Laurel seems to have gotten her oldest friend back is enough to make her smile once more.
It's as he's patting her shoulder that Laurel hears Felicity come in, and Laurel and Oliver greet her at the same time.
“I'm not interrupting, am I?” she says, looking at the two of them questioningly.
Laurel shakes her head. “We're good.”
‘How's Sara?” Felicity asks, reaching out and touching Laurel's arm.
“She's resting,” Laurel replies warmly, and she gives her friend a hug. “Thank you, Felicity, for – everything you did. It can't have been easy getting all those ingredients together for Constantine.”
“It was nothing,” Felicity says with a smile. “I mean, I never thought I would have to get someone a peacock feather to scratch his back and then watch him do some ritual that took you two into another dimension but you know – there's a first time for everything.”
“Here's to hoping you'll never have to do that again,” Ollie says grimly. When both Laurel and Felicity raise their eyebrows at him, he says in explanation, “This isn't the first time John Constantine and I have gone on a –”
“– magical adventure?” Laurel suggests, and she meets Felicity's eyes with a grin, knowing what's coming next. Oliver flushes involuntarily, and that's all Laurel needs for confirmation. “I believe someone owes me fifty bucks.”
“He didn't actually say it, though,” Felicity says.
Laurel laughs, and it's the happy kind of laugh that she can't remember emitting in a long time. “He just blushed , honey. That's good enough for me.”
“Yeah, but –”
“I am right here, you know,” Ollie interrupts.
“Did you or did you not have a thing with John Constantine?” Felicity asks matter-of-factly.
And Laurel's actually kind of impressed that Ollie only hesitates for a moment before relenting and nodding with a slight sigh.
“Huh. Gotta say, Ollie, I don't exactly disapprove,” Laurel says, nudging him playfully.
“He is kinda yummy, isn't he?” Felicity adds, and this time Ollie groans.
“Please stop already.”
Laurel watched as, standing on her tiptoes, Felicity kisses Ollie's cheek. “You love us really,” she says teasingly.
Ollie's eyes meet Laurel's and then go back to Felicity. “I always will.”
“All right, I’m going to go ask one of your, uh, interns for a cup of coffee,” Laurel says, making her way to Ollie’s office door.
“Okay,” Felicity says with a nod.
“Oh, and Ollie?” Laurel adds cheerfully.
“Yeah?” he says, looking up expectantly.
“You hurt her and I’ll snap your neck.” She waits a couple of seconds, secretly wishing she could take a picture because the mortified look on Oliver’s face is priceless, and then adds sweetly, “I'm just kidding.”
Felicity bursts out laughing, and after quickly winking at her, Laurel turns on her heel. And somehow for the first time in a long time, she feels like she might just be okay.