sunday_reveries: Consensus
[A/N: I just read the Green Arrow/Black Canary "Wedding Album" and decided to need to write a reason Ollie's not with Dinah anymore, especially considering the strong relationship Dinah has with Ollie's kids. The Dinah and Connor are both NPCs, the Mia is mine, the Roy is used with sort-of permission, and the Carol with lots of permission. ;)]
Prompt: "A consensus reality can't work without a consensus." -Vellum by Hal Duncan
The Talk
It was funny.
"I don't think it's funny."
"How's it funny?"
Ollie put his coffee down and looked between Connor and Mia. "Ironic?"
They both shrugged. Mia said: "Ollie. She's a blonde firecracker that has a nice ass."
"Stop checking out my girlfriends' asses, Mia."
Mia held her hands up. "Whoa whoa, I don't bat for that team. I'm just saying."
"What about Dinah? She's like a mom to us."
"So she can be a mom to you without being with me." Ollie frowned. He knew this wouldn't be easy. For Cissie, Dinah wasn't a mom. For Roy, he was dating Dick so he had absolutely no reason to say anything whatsoever. Dick. A Bat. Whatever. "The decision was mutual. It's not like I dumped her for Carol."
"Catherine." Ollie looked at Mia for a long moment, before the girl rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Just saying."
Connor rubbed his chin. "Listen, Dad, she's really nice. It's just that it's -"
"Funny."
Both men looked at Mia. "What? Ollie said it first."
Both men still looked at Mia.
"Oh come on. She passes for Carol in a break-up-the-terrorists caper? She could kick anyone's ass in like half a second. She's a blonde. She's got issues. I mean. If Dinah doesn't want to do the Ollie thing, Carol's sort of... Dinah. But with lightning bolts."
"Concussive energy blasts." Ollie shrugged when Connor and Mia gaped at him. "What? They are."
Connor sighed. "It's just that I thought Dinah is your soul -"
"Don't go there, Son. Life's complicated."
"Yeah." Connor spun his tea cup around and then looked up at Ollie. "I know, Dad."
Mia stood up. "Okay, Broody and Broody Jr. I'm out of here. Things to do, people to not impress me. Carol's cool, I can still see Dinah 'cause I'm a big girl, and the monkey is weird but hey. You're Ollie. I get that. Let's all do Thanksgiving. Cheers."
"Did you just say 'cheers'? You are so not allowed to date Brits anymore."
"Uh huh." Mia flashed Ollie a rude gesture, rubbed Connor's head, then wandered out. "Later."
Connor stood too. "Thanksgiving, Dad?"
"Yeah. Thanksgiving, Son."
On his way out Connor turned. "Thanks for, you know. Caring enough about us to have a Talk talk."
Ollie frowned. "Is that even a question?"
"Nah. Not anymore. But positive reinforcement is good for learning." Connor's grin looked exactly like his father's. "You know. Child psych."
"Get the Hell out of here, kid."
Laughing, Connor left. Ollie picked up the phone. Carol answered in half a ring. "Well?"
"So. Thanksgiving?"
"Canadian or American?"
"We missed Canadian, so I guess we'll have to settle."
There was a moment of silence. "Thanks, Ollie-Ollie. I know she -"
"Is. Yeah. And you are. Bring the demon spawn and the monkey by sometime. You're missed."
"By?"
"My butler."
"Tell Jeeves I'll wear a special outfit just for him."
"He's excited."
"I bet."
"An hour?"
"Two."
"Hm."
"My life doesn't revolve around you."
"Hm. Two. CD?"
"Yeah, Ollie-Ollie?"
"Just checking."
He heard Carol laugh on the other end of the phone. "Uh huh. See you in two."
Ollie hung up the phone, a big smile on his face. He knew she'd be there in one.
Prompt: "A consensus reality can't work without a consensus." -Vellum by Hal Duncan
The Talk
It was funny.
"I don't think it's funny."
"How's it funny?"
Ollie put his coffee down and looked between Connor and Mia. "Ironic?"
They both shrugged. Mia said: "Ollie. She's a blonde firecracker that has a nice ass."
"Stop checking out my girlfriends' asses, Mia."
Mia held her hands up. "Whoa whoa, I don't bat for that team. I'm just saying."
"What about Dinah? She's like a mom to us."
"So she can be a mom to you without being with me." Ollie frowned. He knew this wouldn't be easy. For Cissie, Dinah wasn't a mom. For Roy, he was dating Dick so he had absolutely no reason to say anything whatsoever. Dick. A Bat. Whatever. "The decision was mutual. It's not like I dumped her for Carol."
"Catherine." Ollie looked at Mia for a long moment, before the girl rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Just saying."
Connor rubbed his chin. "Listen, Dad, she's really nice. It's just that it's -"
"Funny."
Both men looked at Mia. "What? Ollie said it first."
Both men still looked at Mia.
"Oh come on. She passes for Carol in a break-up-the-terrorists caper? She could kick anyone's ass in like half a second. She's a blonde. She's got issues. I mean. If Dinah doesn't want to do the Ollie thing, Carol's sort of... Dinah. But with lightning bolts."
"Concussive energy blasts." Ollie shrugged when Connor and Mia gaped at him. "What? They are."
Connor sighed. "It's just that I thought Dinah is your soul -"
"Don't go there, Son. Life's complicated."
"Yeah." Connor spun his tea cup around and then looked up at Ollie. "I know, Dad."
Mia stood up. "Okay, Broody and Broody Jr. I'm out of here. Things to do, people to not impress me. Carol's cool, I can still see Dinah 'cause I'm a big girl, and the monkey is weird but hey. You're Ollie. I get that. Let's all do Thanksgiving. Cheers."
"Did you just say 'cheers'? You are so not allowed to date Brits anymore."
"Uh huh." Mia flashed Ollie a rude gesture, rubbed Connor's head, then wandered out. "Later."
Connor stood too. "Thanksgiving, Dad?"
"Yeah. Thanksgiving, Son."
On his way out Connor turned. "Thanks for, you know. Caring enough about us to have a Talk talk."
Ollie frowned. "Is that even a question?"
"Nah. Not anymore. But positive reinforcement is good for learning." Connor's grin looked exactly like his father's. "You know. Child psych."
"Get the Hell out of here, kid."
Laughing, Connor left. Ollie picked up the phone. Carol answered in half a ring. "Well?"
"So. Thanksgiving?"
"Canadian or American?"
"We missed Canadian, so I guess we'll have to settle."
There was a moment of silence. "Thanks, Ollie-Ollie. I know she -"
"Is. Yeah. And you are. Bring the demon spawn and the monkey by sometime. You're missed."
"By?"
"My butler."
"Tell Jeeves I'll wear a special outfit just for him."
"He's excited."
"I bet."
"An hour?"
"Two."
"Hm."
"My life doesn't revolve around you."
"Hm. Two. CD?"
"Yeah, Ollie-Ollie?"
"Just checking."
He heard Carol laugh on the other end of the phone. "Uh huh. See you in two."
Ollie hung up the phone, a big smile on his face. He knew she'd be there in one.