FIC: The Ties That Bind, Chapter Two [Birds of Prey-TV]
Title: The Ties That Bind, chapter three
Pairing: Barbara/Helena, Dinah/Gaby, Dinah/OC
Fandom: Birds of Prey-TV
Rating: R
Word Count: 3872
Summary: The Birds are seperated as Dinah heads to Seattle to see her biological father, Oliver Queen aka, the Green Arrow. While Helena and Barbara deal with the prospect of becoming new parents. Except, Dinah can't seem to shake the trouble that always follows her. And this time, Dinah must face it alone.
A/N: This is the sequel to "The Harvest" and "Tangled Web" and takes place approximately three months after "Tangled Web". While it's not necessary to have read the first two - it wouldn't hurt ;)
Chapter Two
**
“We’re going around in circles, you know?” Harley Quinn crossed her legs. Elbow on the armrest, she propped her chin onto her hand, staring at the man across from her. “You know they won’t let you back on duty until I give you a clean bill of health. And I can’t give you a clean bill of health if we’re running around in circles, now can I?”
“The only reason we’re running around in circles,” Jesse Reese stared back at her, “Is because there’s nothing wrong with me. You are, as we say in the police biz, fishing.”
“Am I?”
“Yep.” He shifted in his seat, staring back at her smugly. The Detective had been assigned to her after his suspension. Another authority figure with anger management issues. She thought it would be fun, getting inside his head, making him do things he shouldn’t. But, Jesse Reese had proven to be a tough nut to crack, no pun intended.
“You’re right.” Harley uncrossed then recrossed her legs. Smiled internally as she saw the dark eyes flit quickly to the revealed piece of thigh. Seduction, Harley learned long ago, came in many forms. “I thought we could work around these trust issues you have. But, I see, you’re not going to play it the easy way. So, for a change of pace, how about we try the hard way.” She reached across the table next to her, sliding a file folder into her hands. “Tell me about your father?”
“What’s to tell?” Reese shrugged. “He was a business man.”
“Was he now?” She cocked an eyebrow, peering at him above the opened folder. “And what was it again that your father did?”
“Business.”
Harley licked the pad of her thumb, nonchalantly flipping through the pages of the file before her. She paused, peering up at Reese calmly. “You lied to me Jesse. Unless, of course, racketeering, embezzling, fraud, prostitution and drug smuggling is your idea of a business.”
She watched as Reese’s face twisted into a mask of hatred and rage. He launched himself towards her, batted the file from her hands. The pages flying through the air, falling like snow around them. Hands on the armrests, he leaned in close, sneering at the woman.
“How’d you know?”
“You’d be amazed at the people who walk through those doors. At what secrets they’re willing to tell me for a little piece of mind.”
Reese pushed himself to his full height. He pointed his finger at her, jabbed it at her face. “You tell anyone and you’re a dead woman.”
“Threats?” Harley calmly stared at his fingers, her eyes gracefully tracing his body up to Reese’s face. “How passé. How.. criminal.”
“That’s it. You and me, we’re done.”
“Don’t be mad, Jesse,” Harley rose from her chair, walking across the room towards Reese. “Me finding out was the best thing that could have happened to you. It’s not like I can tell anyone, doctor, patient privilege and all. But, walk out that door and it’s all over. I don’t take too kindly to threats. And, believe me when I say this,” Her fingers lightly brushed the lint off his collar. Her body intimation, her eyes intimidation, darkening as she spoke, “I’m not someone you want to cross.”
“What do you want from me?”
Harley walked back across the room, easing down into her chair. She crossed her legs, fingers folding together as she rested her chin on the tips. “Tell me about your father.”
**
Rain fell in sheets. Fat, thick continuous drops plummeted from the sky. Dinah stared out the penthouse suite window. The view was gorgeous, except for the drab grey sky and slabs of water diffusing the blue. The penthouse offered a 180 degree view. To the north, she could see the Space Needle looming in front of a large hill dotted with homes. To the west, the dark blue/black waters of Elliot Bay, a scant number of ferries and boats grazed across the waters.
Even with the sticking coat of grey and rain, there was a distinct shade of green covering the landscape. Even in the dead of winter, with the wind blustering the warmth from air, it all seemed clean and fresh. Dinah had been to few places in her short life, and while she considered New Gotham her home, claiming Seattle as her own didn't seem that much of a stretch.
That is, if she was welcome.
An audible sigh passed across her lips. Dinah reached for the phone setting on the desk, dialing the only place she considered home. The line picked up on the second ring. Dinah could feel her lips pull into a smile as she heard Barbara Gordon's familiar voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Hey Barbara,” Dinah flopped onto the bed, facing the window. “It's me, checking in."
"You're late."
"I was sightseeing."
"What's to see?” Barbara chuckled softly. “It's raining."
"You know, stuff." Dinah paused, caught up in her own thoughts.
"Dinah?"
"Oh, nothing, it's just weird, you know, talking to you on an actual phone."
"True. But you have your comm-set, right? So, if you need us, don't be afraid to.."
"Is that the super brat?" Helena's voice cut Barbara off. The slight sounds of a scuffle as she yanked the phone from Barbara's hand. "She's not boring you yet with all her techno-babble is she? Anyway, before she has a chance to say she doesn't miss you, she does. Barbara's been tracking your every move since you left New Gotham. Now, me, on the other hand, I've totally been enjoying the quiet."
"Helena!" Barbara barked in the background.
"What? I tease because I love."
"Gimme the phone." Barbara yanked the device back. "Sorry for the.. intrusion, she won't admit it, but she misses you."
"No, I don't."
Dinah smiled at the sense of normalcy she’d been craving. "I miss you guys too."
"Like I said, if you need anything don't hesitate to call. Are you going to get some rest before you.." Her voice trailed off.
"No, I think I'm gonna try tonight." She paused, waiting for a response, "Do you think I should go?"
"Yes."
Dinah sighed. Shoulders slumping as some of the weight lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks Barbara."
**
It wasn't what she expected. A penthouse apartment square in the middle of downtown. Passing through the lobby without question seemed to ease her stomach. Although, spending a couple months learning the meaning of the word 'incognito' made things easier. She didn't want a confrontation, with anyone. And having to explain why she was in the middle of an apartment complex meeting a person who not only knew nothing of her existence nor her meeting with him was not something she looked forward to.
Dinah stood in front of the heavy oak door. Her fist hovered over the wood. Dinah stepped back from the door. Swallowed hard. The speech she prepared streaking across the synapses in her brain.
"Hi, you don't know me but my name is Dinah Redmond. Actually, Redmond's my adopted parents name. See, my real name is Dinah Lance and my mother was Carolyn Lance. And, um, I'm your daughter." She shook her head violently. "God, that's horrible. Hi, my name's Dinah Redmond, Carolyn Lance's daughter. And you're my Dad. No, no, no. Hi, you don't know me, but you knew a woman named Carolyn Lance. Well, anyway, she was my mother and I think you're my Dad."
Dinah leaned forward. Her head slumped against the door. "God, that's horrible. This is never going to work." She sucked in another breath, put on her best happy face and blurted the words. "Hi, I'm your daughter."
"What?"
Her head whipped to the side. She hadn't noticed the man standing in the hallway, his arms loaded with a bag of groceries. She'd never seen in him person, or had heard his voice. The only knowledge from pictures and files Barbara had given her. But, there was no doubt about it, the man standing across from her was her father. Her blood froze in her veins. The air turned thick, choked her lungs. Months of wishing, planning, hoping, fantasizing all came down to this moment. And Dinah blew it.
"Oh God." Whispered across her lips before it all went black.
**
Oliver Queen sat on his coffee table staring at the young woman passed out on his couch. He knew he should be attempting to answer the thousand plus questions rummaging around his head. Contacting someone, anyone, with information about the young woman sleeping in front of him. Except, Oliver Queen, the man with the wit of a comedienne, charm of a prince, and the verbal dexterity of an auctioneer suddenly found himself at a loss of words.
Truth was, he didn't need answers, or papers, documents, or blood tests to know the truth. He'd seen it in her eyes when she turned to stare at him. This young woman was his daughter. Could see it in the blue eyes and soft features of her mother, in the height and regal features from him.
It all filled him with a sense of melancholy. Of all his children, she was the one he wanted most. The one he assumed he would never have. The child of his one and only true love. A fateful reminder of all the things he'd hoped for. All the things he'd assumed had been lost. What was, what could never be, and the reality hiding behind it all. Being dead has a tendency to do that to a person.
Dinah shifted slightly. Her eyes drifted open. Oliver tensed. Suddenly unsure of himself. Realizing most women don't appreciate having a complete stranger hover over them as they slept. Dinah's eyes snapped open.
"Hi." He mumbled, a hand openly raised in greeting.
Dinah slid to a sitting position. Her cheeks blazed turning red. "I should go."
"Don't. Please." He could feel the same shade of crimson blushing his cheeks. "I know a great pizza place. You like pizza, right?" Dinah nodded her head sheepishly. "We could talk. Some place a little more neutral. What do you say?"
"Okay."
**
Dinah didn't think she was hungry. Hadn't eaten all day. Filled with too much nervous energy to think about anything but this moment right here. Yet, when they entered the pizza joint, and the smell of marinara sauce, cheese and bread filled her nostrils, her stomach twitched so hard for a moment Dinah thought she'd faint again.
Oliver leaned in the booth, cheek resting on his hand, a bemused expression on his face. He watched the girl wolf down the pizza, chugging swallows of soda in between talking at the speed of lightening. He suppressed the urge to fire any of the questions ricocheting in his head, preferring to let the girl set the pace. No matter how slow he considered it.
He learned a lot and nothing at all. Sure, he knew Dinah had a puppy named Boxer. Her favorite bands. Food. Color. But, she didn't speak about her mother, or how she found him, anything. She was bright, bubbly, but had a guarded nature about her he found off putting. A wounded look in her eyes that made him uneasy. Dinah had been hurt. Bad.
"Where do you live?" Oliver took advantage of a rare pause.
"In New Gotham with Barbara Gordon." His mouth formed into an 'o' at the revelation. One which answered several questions. "I've been living there since I ran away from home."
"What?"
Her shoulders sank slightly. "I'd been living with the Redmond's since I was six."
"Wait? You're telling me your mother put you up for adoption?" He couldn't help the angry tinge in his voice. Anger directed more at himself than anything. Except, Dinah couldn't see that.
"No, it's not like you think. I.. she.. it wasn't safe. And she did what she had to."
Oliver ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Were they good people?"
Dinah shrugged, not really wanting to get into her life with the Redmond's. Even if she still kept their name. "Yeah."
"Where's Carolyn now?"
Dinah lifted her eyes to meet Oliver’s. "Did you love her?"
"More than life."
"Then why'd you break up?"
The million dollar question. The one that went through his mind more times a day than he cared to count. "She thought I was cheating on her. In the end, there was nothing I could do or say to convince her otherwise."
"Were you?"
“It’d be less tragic if I was. No, I wasn’t cheating on your mother.” Oliver paused. Ran a hand through his hair. “Where’s your mother now?”
Dinah dropped the half-eaten slice back onto her plate. Her appetite effectively gone with one question. “She’s dead.”
The room seemed to shrink. Air collapsed around him. Refused to fill his lungs as the heat increased tenfold. Dead. Carolyn Lance was dead. Oliver slid out of the booth, gasping for air. He rushed towards the exit. Sucked in the cool night air in choked gasps. He collapsed onto a bench. Elbows on his knees, sank his face into his hands. Gritted his teeth at the salt stinging his eyes.
“Mr. Queen?” Oliver lifted his head at the sound of Dinah’s voice. His daughter. Sixteen years gone in the blink of an eye. All the things he missed. Her birth. That first step. Hearing her say Daddy for the first time. Instead, she called him by his formal name. As close to each other as two strangers could be.
“I’m sorry.” He sank his face back into his hands.
Dinah stuffed her hands back into her pockets. Eyes glued to her shoes. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Oliver gasped, reaching out to clasp his hand around Dinah’s. “Never.” He smiled softly, watching the relief gently wash over his daughter’s face. “How ‘bout we go for a walk?”
**
“What do you think they’re doing right now?” Helena leaned forward slightly. They were sitting on the bed. Barbara sat with her back pressed against the headboard, Helena situated between her legs as she gently massaged the brunette’s lower back.
“I’m sorry?” Barbara smiled as she spoke. “Was that the sound of concern for our young ward coming from your voice?”
“Don’t be a smart ass.”
“Didn’t realize you had the market cornered. Hit a soft spot did I?”
“No.” Helena inhaled slightly, a throaty purr escaping her throat. “Now you did.”
“Right there?” A sly grin creased her lips, her fingers increasing the pressure.
“God, if I’d known you were this good with your hands I would have let you knock me up years ago.” She leaned back, head resting on Barbara’s shoulder. Helena brought a hand up, letting it thread loosely into Barbara’s hair. She pulled the woman’s lips to hers, her mouth lingering until the need for oxygen demanded she release her hold. “I love you.” She whispered quietly.
“I love you, too.” Barbara wrapped her arms around Helena’s stomach, pulling her into an embrace. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”
“What was he like?”
“You really want to know? Why?”
“I don’t know. Everything seems so different now, you know. I’m still mad at him. The asshole. I just figured, if Dinah can have the guts to fly across the country to meet her father, the least I could do was ask about mine.” She rubbed her hand over her stomach. “Someday, she’s gonna ask about him. I ’d like to think I’d have an answer more than ‘he was a rich guy who liked to dress up like a bat’.”
“Who’da thunk it?” Barbara nuzzled against Helena’s neck. “A kinder, gentler Helena Kyle.”
“Helena Kyle-Gordon.” She corrected.
“Okay, Mrs. Gordon, I’ll tell you about your father.”
**
They walked for what seemed like hours. Pregnant pauses between random bits of conversation. Dinah talked about her life, in turn, Oliver talked about his. And when the question came concerning where Oliver Queen had been for the past couple years, the answer floored her.
Oliver Queen had been dead. Really dead. Blown to smithereens saving the world, until a tiny piece of DNA hiding within the cloak of Superman brought him back to life. Some people lead charmed lives. Mr. Queen, Dinah learned, had been blessed by an angel. Okay, not an Angel angel, but a dear friend, who, even in the afterlife, couldn’t bear the thought of a world without Oliver Queen. And, using his powers, brought Oliver back to life.
On the one hand, Dinah couldn’t help but feel proud. After being raised to believe that she was evil, Dinah was not only the child of a hero, but TWO heroes.
On the other, it made her feel.. small. The DNA of such grand people ran through her veins and yet, she was soo Dinah. Living with Helena and Barbara, sure, she’d learned a lot. About being a super hero, and herself. She wasn’t sure she could live up to the title of ‘daughter of Oliver Queen and Carolyn Lance’.
Oliver nudged her softly with his shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I don’t know.” Dinah shrugged, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear. “It all seems a bit, I don’t know..”
“Overwhelming?”
“Yea.”
“I know the feeling.” Oliver her stopped. His head snapped towards the left, his hand gripping Dinah’s forearm. “Did you hear that?”
“What?” Seattle was unfamiliar terrain for her. Everything sounded familiar yet alien at the same time.
“That.” His face turned cold, stony. Dinah recognized it immediately. Helena had a similar expression when she caught the scent of danger. Oliver took off in a flash, his long coat fluttering behind. She gave chase, trying to catch up with the man. They were close to the water, newer shinier buildings sandwiched between cracking brick stones, and old railroad tracks hidden under overgrowth.
The alleyway was small, tight. One end blocked off by a dark van. In the middle, four men were busy hog-tying a fifth, their faces obscured behind black ski masks. Oliver leapt into the fray. His fist connected with one against his jaw, sending him flying backwards, slamming against the wall. A front kick sent another splaying onto the cement.
Dinah rounded the corner, the apparent target scurrying past her towards safety. She found herself face to face with a man twice her size. He growled at her from behind his mask. A big beefy hand, curled into a fist, swung towards her head. Dinah ducked, delivered a quick blow to the solar plexus. Only, punching the man was like punching a brick wall. Her hand recoiled in pain. She stared up at the man. Even with a ski mask, she could tell he was smiling. They always smiled, she’d learned.
Helena once told her when in doubt (or panic, Barbara had added) always go for the nuts. A quick blow to slim Jim and the Twins, she had said, will bring down any thug. Dinah, staring at her opponent, a man twice her size and three times the muscles, she realized she couldn’t take him with both his hands tied behind his back and now wasn’t the time for fair and balanced.
She reared back with her left leg, swung it forward with everything she had. She was quick, she was strong and wiry. She hobbled on her good leg as pain shot up into her synapses. Whatever it was between his legs, it was harder than a brick.
“Little girl likes to play dirty does she?” He growled as he walked towards her. “I like to play dirty to.”
A large beefy fist curled and quick jammed into her stomach. Dinah bowled over onto her hands and knees, the oxygen gone from her lungs. Just as she sucked a breath in, she felt his foot connecting with her ribs. She flew through the air, flopping onto her back. The dim bulb from the alley light flashed in her eyes, then disappeared as the man filled her vision.
He hovered over her, growing larger as he kneeled towards her. Dinah could feel his hand wrapping around her throat, the fingers constricting tighter and tighter.
“I can play dirty.” He lifted his mask enough so she could see his mouth. “Real dirty.”
This was a mistake. It was the first tangible thought that entered Oliver’s mind after racing into the open alley. These weren’t thugs or common criminals. These guys were professionals. He could tell by their calculated moves and muscles, as he punched, muscles hardened by experience and not prison bulk. That wasn’t the mistake. The mistake was in thinking Dinah, his daughter, wouldn’t follow him into the alleyway.
She was just a girl, a child. His child. From the corner of his eye, he saw her go down. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the men, their prey who’d scurried away long ago, or his own personal safety. All he saw was a man twice Dinah’s size pressing his lips against hers. He saw Carolyn, battered and bruised, punishment for his crimes.
The man reared his face back, howling as the blood poured from his ripped open lip. Dinah glanced to her left, saw her father running towards her at full speed.
“DAD!” Croaked from her lips.
It was a mistake. Oliver felt the world spin as something hard and flat whacked across the back of his head. His legs crumpled underneath him, his vision suddenly blurry.
Dinah watched as her father fell. As the men descended upon him like a pack of wild dogs. She saw her mother dying in front of her eyes attempting to save her.
“Your father’s gonna die.” The man holding her throat hissed. “And so are you.”
“No,” Dinah growled, a dim ember inside her suddenly blazed hot, “I’m not!”
His hand was around her neck. Then, suddenly, it was not. His feet were on the ground and, just as quickly, they were not. The last thing he saw was the girl with the blue eyes and corn husk hair, then nothing at all.
Dinah wrenched the man from her body with her mind, tossed him at his companions. He slammed into the pack. They scattered violently backwards like bowling pins. Dinah outstretched her hands. The air filled with electricity. Garbage, empty boxes, tossed beer bottles, the flotsam of the alleyway began to tremble and shudder. They flew towards the men. One at a time, all at once, faster and faster, slammed against the men. Battered them until they were nothing more than unconscious heaps lying on the ground.
Then, it was gone. The rage fueled energy zapped from her body. Dinah slumped to her knees.
“Dinah?” Oliver wrapped his arms around Dinah, squeezing her into a hug.
“I’m..” Dinah sputtered into his shoulder. I’m okay, Dad.”
Oliver helped Dinah to her feet. He glanced over his shoulder, giving one last look at the unconscious men, as the two walked out of the alleyway. He’d learned much in his years on this earth. Was self-aware enough to know he hadn’t learned everything. The one thing he learned tonight - his little girl wasn’t so little after all.
End Chapter Two
Pairing: Barbara/Helena, Dinah/Gaby, Dinah/OC
Fandom: Birds of Prey-TV
Rating: R
Word Count: 3872
Summary: The Birds are seperated as Dinah heads to Seattle to see her biological father, Oliver Queen aka, the Green Arrow. While Helena and Barbara deal with the prospect of becoming new parents. Except, Dinah can't seem to shake the trouble that always follows her. And this time, Dinah must face it alone.
A/N: This is the sequel to "The Harvest" and "Tangled Web" and takes place approximately three months after "Tangled Web". While it's not necessary to have read the first two - it wouldn't hurt ;)
Chapter Two
**
“We’re going around in circles, you know?” Harley Quinn crossed her legs. Elbow on the armrest, she propped her chin onto her hand, staring at the man across from her. “You know they won’t let you back on duty until I give you a clean bill of health. And I can’t give you a clean bill of health if we’re running around in circles, now can I?”
“The only reason we’re running around in circles,” Jesse Reese stared back at her, “Is because there’s nothing wrong with me. You are, as we say in the police biz, fishing.”
“Am I?”
“Yep.” He shifted in his seat, staring back at her smugly. The Detective had been assigned to her after his suspension. Another authority figure with anger management issues. She thought it would be fun, getting inside his head, making him do things he shouldn’t. But, Jesse Reese had proven to be a tough nut to crack, no pun intended.
“You’re right.” Harley uncrossed then recrossed her legs. Smiled internally as she saw the dark eyes flit quickly to the revealed piece of thigh. Seduction, Harley learned long ago, came in many forms. “I thought we could work around these trust issues you have. But, I see, you’re not going to play it the easy way. So, for a change of pace, how about we try the hard way.” She reached across the table next to her, sliding a file folder into her hands. “Tell me about your father?”
“What’s to tell?” Reese shrugged. “He was a business man.”
“Was he now?” She cocked an eyebrow, peering at him above the opened folder. “And what was it again that your father did?”
“Business.”
Harley licked the pad of her thumb, nonchalantly flipping through the pages of the file before her. She paused, peering up at Reese calmly. “You lied to me Jesse. Unless, of course, racketeering, embezzling, fraud, prostitution and drug smuggling is your idea of a business.”
She watched as Reese’s face twisted into a mask of hatred and rage. He launched himself towards her, batted the file from her hands. The pages flying through the air, falling like snow around them. Hands on the armrests, he leaned in close, sneering at the woman.
“How’d you know?”
“You’d be amazed at the people who walk through those doors. At what secrets they’re willing to tell me for a little piece of mind.”
Reese pushed himself to his full height. He pointed his finger at her, jabbed it at her face. “You tell anyone and you’re a dead woman.”
“Threats?” Harley calmly stared at his fingers, her eyes gracefully tracing his body up to Reese’s face. “How passé. How.. criminal.”
“That’s it. You and me, we’re done.”
“Don’t be mad, Jesse,” Harley rose from her chair, walking across the room towards Reese. “Me finding out was the best thing that could have happened to you. It’s not like I can tell anyone, doctor, patient privilege and all. But, walk out that door and it’s all over. I don’t take too kindly to threats. And, believe me when I say this,” Her fingers lightly brushed the lint off his collar. Her body intimation, her eyes intimidation, darkening as she spoke, “I’m not someone you want to cross.”
“What do you want from me?”
Harley walked back across the room, easing down into her chair. She crossed her legs, fingers folding together as she rested her chin on the tips. “Tell me about your father.”
**
Rain fell in sheets. Fat, thick continuous drops plummeted from the sky. Dinah stared out the penthouse suite window. The view was gorgeous, except for the drab grey sky and slabs of water diffusing the blue. The penthouse offered a 180 degree view. To the north, she could see the Space Needle looming in front of a large hill dotted with homes. To the west, the dark blue/black waters of Elliot Bay, a scant number of ferries and boats grazed across the waters.
Even with the sticking coat of grey and rain, there was a distinct shade of green covering the landscape. Even in the dead of winter, with the wind blustering the warmth from air, it all seemed clean and fresh. Dinah had been to few places in her short life, and while she considered New Gotham her home, claiming Seattle as her own didn't seem that much of a stretch.
That is, if she was welcome.
An audible sigh passed across her lips. Dinah reached for the phone setting on the desk, dialing the only place she considered home. The line picked up on the second ring. Dinah could feel her lips pull into a smile as she heard Barbara Gordon's familiar voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Hey Barbara,” Dinah flopped onto the bed, facing the window. “It's me, checking in."
"You're late."
"I was sightseeing."
"What's to see?” Barbara chuckled softly. “It's raining."
"You know, stuff." Dinah paused, caught up in her own thoughts.
"Dinah?"
"Oh, nothing, it's just weird, you know, talking to you on an actual phone."
"True. But you have your comm-set, right? So, if you need us, don't be afraid to.."
"Is that the super brat?" Helena's voice cut Barbara off. The slight sounds of a scuffle as she yanked the phone from Barbara's hand. "She's not boring you yet with all her techno-babble is she? Anyway, before she has a chance to say she doesn't miss you, she does. Barbara's been tracking your every move since you left New Gotham. Now, me, on the other hand, I've totally been enjoying the quiet."
"Helena!" Barbara barked in the background.
"What? I tease because I love."
"Gimme the phone." Barbara yanked the device back. "Sorry for the.. intrusion, she won't admit it, but she misses you."
"No, I don't."
Dinah smiled at the sense of normalcy she’d been craving. "I miss you guys too."
"Like I said, if you need anything don't hesitate to call. Are you going to get some rest before you.." Her voice trailed off.
"No, I think I'm gonna try tonight." She paused, waiting for a response, "Do you think I should go?"
"Yes."
Dinah sighed. Shoulders slumping as some of the weight lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks Barbara."
**
It wasn't what she expected. A penthouse apartment square in the middle of downtown. Passing through the lobby without question seemed to ease her stomach. Although, spending a couple months learning the meaning of the word 'incognito' made things easier. She didn't want a confrontation, with anyone. And having to explain why she was in the middle of an apartment complex meeting a person who not only knew nothing of her existence nor her meeting with him was not something she looked forward to.
Dinah stood in front of the heavy oak door. Her fist hovered over the wood. Dinah stepped back from the door. Swallowed hard. The speech she prepared streaking across the synapses in her brain.
"Hi, you don't know me but my name is Dinah Redmond. Actually, Redmond's my adopted parents name. See, my real name is Dinah Lance and my mother was Carolyn Lance. And, um, I'm your daughter." She shook her head violently. "God, that's horrible. Hi, my name's Dinah Redmond, Carolyn Lance's daughter. And you're my Dad. No, no, no. Hi, you don't know me, but you knew a woman named Carolyn Lance. Well, anyway, she was my mother and I think you're my Dad."
Dinah leaned forward. Her head slumped against the door. "God, that's horrible. This is never going to work." She sucked in another breath, put on her best happy face and blurted the words. "Hi, I'm your daughter."
"What?"
Her head whipped to the side. She hadn't noticed the man standing in the hallway, his arms loaded with a bag of groceries. She'd never seen in him person, or had heard his voice. The only knowledge from pictures and files Barbara had given her. But, there was no doubt about it, the man standing across from her was her father. Her blood froze in her veins. The air turned thick, choked her lungs. Months of wishing, planning, hoping, fantasizing all came down to this moment. And Dinah blew it.
"Oh God." Whispered across her lips before it all went black.
**
Oliver Queen sat on his coffee table staring at the young woman passed out on his couch. He knew he should be attempting to answer the thousand plus questions rummaging around his head. Contacting someone, anyone, with information about the young woman sleeping in front of him. Except, Oliver Queen, the man with the wit of a comedienne, charm of a prince, and the verbal dexterity of an auctioneer suddenly found himself at a loss of words.
Truth was, he didn't need answers, or papers, documents, or blood tests to know the truth. He'd seen it in her eyes when she turned to stare at him. This young woman was his daughter. Could see it in the blue eyes and soft features of her mother, in the height and regal features from him.
It all filled him with a sense of melancholy. Of all his children, she was the one he wanted most. The one he assumed he would never have. The child of his one and only true love. A fateful reminder of all the things he'd hoped for. All the things he'd assumed had been lost. What was, what could never be, and the reality hiding behind it all. Being dead has a tendency to do that to a person.
Dinah shifted slightly. Her eyes drifted open. Oliver tensed. Suddenly unsure of himself. Realizing most women don't appreciate having a complete stranger hover over them as they slept. Dinah's eyes snapped open.
"Hi." He mumbled, a hand openly raised in greeting.
Dinah slid to a sitting position. Her cheeks blazed turning red. "I should go."
"Don't. Please." He could feel the same shade of crimson blushing his cheeks. "I know a great pizza place. You like pizza, right?" Dinah nodded her head sheepishly. "We could talk. Some place a little more neutral. What do you say?"
"Okay."
**
Dinah didn't think she was hungry. Hadn't eaten all day. Filled with too much nervous energy to think about anything but this moment right here. Yet, when they entered the pizza joint, and the smell of marinara sauce, cheese and bread filled her nostrils, her stomach twitched so hard for a moment Dinah thought she'd faint again.
Oliver leaned in the booth, cheek resting on his hand, a bemused expression on his face. He watched the girl wolf down the pizza, chugging swallows of soda in between talking at the speed of lightening. He suppressed the urge to fire any of the questions ricocheting in his head, preferring to let the girl set the pace. No matter how slow he considered it.
He learned a lot and nothing at all. Sure, he knew Dinah had a puppy named Boxer. Her favorite bands. Food. Color. But, she didn't speak about her mother, or how she found him, anything. She was bright, bubbly, but had a guarded nature about her he found off putting. A wounded look in her eyes that made him uneasy. Dinah had been hurt. Bad.
"Where do you live?" Oliver took advantage of a rare pause.
"In New Gotham with Barbara Gordon." His mouth formed into an 'o' at the revelation. One which answered several questions. "I've been living there since I ran away from home."
"What?"
Her shoulders sank slightly. "I'd been living with the Redmond's since I was six."
"Wait? You're telling me your mother put you up for adoption?" He couldn't help the angry tinge in his voice. Anger directed more at himself than anything. Except, Dinah couldn't see that.
"No, it's not like you think. I.. she.. it wasn't safe. And she did what she had to."
Oliver ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Were they good people?"
Dinah shrugged, not really wanting to get into her life with the Redmond's. Even if she still kept their name. "Yeah."
"Where's Carolyn now?"
Dinah lifted her eyes to meet Oliver’s. "Did you love her?"
"More than life."
"Then why'd you break up?"
The million dollar question. The one that went through his mind more times a day than he cared to count. "She thought I was cheating on her. In the end, there was nothing I could do or say to convince her otherwise."
"Were you?"
“It’d be less tragic if I was. No, I wasn’t cheating on your mother.” Oliver paused. Ran a hand through his hair. “Where’s your mother now?”
Dinah dropped the half-eaten slice back onto her plate. Her appetite effectively gone with one question. “She’s dead.”
The room seemed to shrink. Air collapsed around him. Refused to fill his lungs as the heat increased tenfold. Dead. Carolyn Lance was dead. Oliver slid out of the booth, gasping for air. He rushed towards the exit. Sucked in the cool night air in choked gasps. He collapsed onto a bench. Elbows on his knees, sank his face into his hands. Gritted his teeth at the salt stinging his eyes.
“Mr. Queen?” Oliver lifted his head at the sound of Dinah’s voice. His daughter. Sixteen years gone in the blink of an eye. All the things he missed. Her birth. That first step. Hearing her say Daddy for the first time. Instead, she called him by his formal name. As close to each other as two strangers could be.
“I’m sorry.” He sank his face back into his hands.
Dinah stuffed her hands back into her pockets. Eyes glued to her shoes. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Oliver gasped, reaching out to clasp his hand around Dinah’s. “Never.” He smiled softly, watching the relief gently wash over his daughter’s face. “How ‘bout we go for a walk?”
**
“What do you think they’re doing right now?” Helena leaned forward slightly. They were sitting on the bed. Barbara sat with her back pressed against the headboard, Helena situated between her legs as she gently massaged the brunette’s lower back.
“I’m sorry?” Barbara smiled as she spoke. “Was that the sound of concern for our young ward coming from your voice?”
“Don’t be a smart ass.”
“Didn’t realize you had the market cornered. Hit a soft spot did I?”
“No.” Helena inhaled slightly, a throaty purr escaping her throat. “Now you did.”
“Right there?” A sly grin creased her lips, her fingers increasing the pressure.
“God, if I’d known you were this good with your hands I would have let you knock me up years ago.” She leaned back, head resting on Barbara’s shoulder. Helena brought a hand up, letting it thread loosely into Barbara’s hair. She pulled the woman’s lips to hers, her mouth lingering until the need for oxygen demanded she release her hold. “I love you.” She whispered quietly.
“I love you, too.” Barbara wrapped her arms around Helena’s stomach, pulling her into an embrace. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”
“What was he like?”
“You really want to know? Why?”
“I don’t know. Everything seems so different now, you know. I’m still mad at him. The asshole. I just figured, if Dinah can have the guts to fly across the country to meet her father, the least I could do was ask about mine.” She rubbed her hand over her stomach. “Someday, she’s gonna ask about him. I ’d like to think I’d have an answer more than ‘he was a rich guy who liked to dress up like a bat’.”
“Who’da thunk it?” Barbara nuzzled against Helena’s neck. “A kinder, gentler Helena Kyle.”
“Helena Kyle-Gordon.” She corrected.
“Okay, Mrs. Gordon, I’ll tell you about your father.”
**
They walked for what seemed like hours. Pregnant pauses between random bits of conversation. Dinah talked about her life, in turn, Oliver talked about his. And when the question came concerning where Oliver Queen had been for the past couple years, the answer floored her.
Oliver Queen had been dead. Really dead. Blown to smithereens saving the world, until a tiny piece of DNA hiding within the cloak of Superman brought him back to life. Some people lead charmed lives. Mr. Queen, Dinah learned, had been blessed by an angel. Okay, not an Angel angel, but a dear friend, who, even in the afterlife, couldn’t bear the thought of a world without Oliver Queen. And, using his powers, brought Oliver back to life.
On the one hand, Dinah couldn’t help but feel proud. After being raised to believe that she was evil, Dinah was not only the child of a hero, but TWO heroes.
On the other, it made her feel.. small. The DNA of such grand people ran through her veins and yet, she was soo Dinah. Living with Helena and Barbara, sure, she’d learned a lot. About being a super hero, and herself. She wasn’t sure she could live up to the title of ‘daughter of Oliver Queen and Carolyn Lance’.
Oliver nudged her softly with his shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I don’t know.” Dinah shrugged, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear. “It all seems a bit, I don’t know..”
“Overwhelming?”
“Yea.”
“I know the feeling.” Oliver her stopped. His head snapped towards the left, his hand gripping Dinah’s forearm. “Did you hear that?”
“What?” Seattle was unfamiliar terrain for her. Everything sounded familiar yet alien at the same time.
“That.” His face turned cold, stony. Dinah recognized it immediately. Helena had a similar expression when she caught the scent of danger. Oliver took off in a flash, his long coat fluttering behind. She gave chase, trying to catch up with the man. They were close to the water, newer shinier buildings sandwiched between cracking brick stones, and old railroad tracks hidden under overgrowth.
The alleyway was small, tight. One end blocked off by a dark van. In the middle, four men were busy hog-tying a fifth, their faces obscured behind black ski masks. Oliver leapt into the fray. His fist connected with one against his jaw, sending him flying backwards, slamming against the wall. A front kick sent another splaying onto the cement.
Dinah rounded the corner, the apparent target scurrying past her towards safety. She found herself face to face with a man twice her size. He growled at her from behind his mask. A big beefy hand, curled into a fist, swung towards her head. Dinah ducked, delivered a quick blow to the solar plexus. Only, punching the man was like punching a brick wall. Her hand recoiled in pain. She stared up at the man. Even with a ski mask, she could tell he was smiling. They always smiled, she’d learned.
Helena once told her when in doubt (or panic, Barbara had added) always go for the nuts. A quick blow to slim Jim and the Twins, she had said, will bring down any thug. Dinah, staring at her opponent, a man twice her size and three times the muscles, she realized she couldn’t take him with both his hands tied behind his back and now wasn’t the time for fair and balanced.
She reared back with her left leg, swung it forward with everything she had. She was quick, she was strong and wiry. She hobbled on her good leg as pain shot up into her synapses. Whatever it was between his legs, it was harder than a brick.
“Little girl likes to play dirty does she?” He growled as he walked towards her. “I like to play dirty to.”
A large beefy fist curled and quick jammed into her stomach. Dinah bowled over onto her hands and knees, the oxygen gone from her lungs. Just as she sucked a breath in, she felt his foot connecting with her ribs. She flew through the air, flopping onto her back. The dim bulb from the alley light flashed in her eyes, then disappeared as the man filled her vision.
He hovered over her, growing larger as he kneeled towards her. Dinah could feel his hand wrapping around her throat, the fingers constricting tighter and tighter.
“I can play dirty.” He lifted his mask enough so she could see his mouth. “Real dirty.”
This was a mistake. It was the first tangible thought that entered Oliver’s mind after racing into the open alley. These weren’t thugs or common criminals. These guys were professionals. He could tell by their calculated moves and muscles, as he punched, muscles hardened by experience and not prison bulk. That wasn’t the mistake. The mistake was in thinking Dinah, his daughter, wouldn’t follow him into the alleyway.
She was just a girl, a child. His child. From the corner of his eye, he saw her go down. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the men, their prey who’d scurried away long ago, or his own personal safety. All he saw was a man twice Dinah’s size pressing his lips against hers. He saw Carolyn, battered and bruised, punishment for his crimes.
The man reared his face back, howling as the blood poured from his ripped open lip. Dinah glanced to her left, saw her father running towards her at full speed.
“DAD!” Croaked from her lips.
It was a mistake. Oliver felt the world spin as something hard and flat whacked across the back of his head. His legs crumpled underneath him, his vision suddenly blurry.
Dinah watched as her father fell. As the men descended upon him like a pack of wild dogs. She saw her mother dying in front of her eyes attempting to save her.
“Your father’s gonna die.” The man holding her throat hissed. “And so are you.”
“No,” Dinah growled, a dim ember inside her suddenly blazed hot, “I’m not!”
His hand was around her neck. Then, suddenly, it was not. His feet were on the ground and, just as quickly, they were not. The last thing he saw was the girl with the blue eyes and corn husk hair, then nothing at all.
Dinah wrenched the man from her body with her mind, tossed him at his companions. He slammed into the pack. They scattered violently backwards like bowling pins. Dinah outstretched her hands. The air filled with electricity. Garbage, empty boxes, tossed beer bottles, the flotsam of the alleyway began to tremble and shudder. They flew towards the men. One at a time, all at once, faster and faster, slammed against the men. Battered them until they were nothing more than unconscious heaps lying on the ground.
Then, it was gone. The rage fueled energy zapped from her body. Dinah slumped to her knees.
“Dinah?” Oliver wrapped his arms around Dinah, squeezing her into a hug.
“I’m..” Dinah sputtered into his shoulder. I’m okay, Dad.”
Oliver helped Dinah to her feet. He glanced over his shoulder, giving one last look at the unconscious men, as the two walked out of the alleyway. He’d learned much in his years on this earth. Was self-aware enough to know he hadn’t learned everything. The one thing he learned tonight - his little girl wasn’t so little after all.
End Chapter Two