Zero Hour - Friday, July 07, 2000, 6:51 PM
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It is an early evening for Dinah Laurel Lance. A most unusual one too, she muses to herself, 
staring out the window of the limousine as it pulls up curbside to her apartment building. 
Her gaze subtly shifts to the man beside her, droning on about his connections to European 
royalty. With a well-timed laugh and polite nod, the pretty bird nods and then sighs, "We're 
here." She waits with practiced ease for the chauffeur, then allows her escort to accompany her 
up the steps. They pause. Dinah tips her head bewitchingly. "Your country sounds fascinating. 
I'd love to see it sometime."

"I would like to see you again," he answers, his dark head a few feet from hers. "Perhaps I 
can arrange that.

It's an early evening for Oliver Queen too, as he comes up the steps to Dinah's floor. In 
marked contrast to Dinah's current companion, he is not dressed in a nice suit, isn't connected 
to the European royalty in any way other than having a thing for Grace Kelly when he was 14 
and the only way he could arrange a trip anywhere to an exotic foreign locale would probably 
have you being Shanghaied on a slow boat to China. He emerges from the stairwell in torn jeans, 
worn sneakers and a sweat-stained T-shirt. You could take him as is and he'd be a convincing 
Stanley in any rep production of "Streetcar Named Desire".

Tall, Suave and Handsome steps forward and inclines his head, pressing a chaste kiss upon the 
cool blonde's lips. She tolerates it admirably, her eyes opening in boredom as she peers past 
a broad shoulder...then makes a small strangled cry. Desire? He certainly thinks so, as he 
gives a knowing chuckle. "Ah, my passionate flower, let us go inside..."

"NO! Ah...no, not tonight...I-I'm so confused. You make me feel so many things at once!" 
Disgust. Superiority. Repulsion. "Besides, I see my elderly neighbor, Mr. Greenbow coming 
up the stairs. He's not quite right in the head you know, and he likes to take Friday night 
tea with me. You'd better go. I'll call."

The man looks over his shoulder impatiently, staring at Oliver with a mixture of pity and 
contempt. "Very well. I will expect your call tomorrow."

Oliver Queen steps up and watches the man make a very quick exit and glare at him. He sighs 
a bit and looks at you. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything..."

Dinah Lance levels a look at you as she quickly unlocks her door and disables the alarm 
system, pausing and saying in a loud voice. "No no, Mr. Greenbow, you know I always have 
time for you." She flashes a quick little grin as she continues on in a patronizing voice, 
"Why don't you tell me about that terrible time you were shipwrecked on a desert island." 
A moment later a shadow passes the doorway as a bodyguard traverses the hallway and departs. 
Di slips inside and beckons you in, removing her earrings and necklace.

Oliver Queen catches on, and in an exaggerated "old grizzled prospector" voice yells "Well, 
it was back when I was a young man in 47'! Lived there for three years on rats! I ever tell 
you my recipe for rat-tat-tui?" he grins as he walks after you. With the door closed he 
watches you and grins. "Mr. Greenbow? That was the best you could think of?"

Oliver Queen smirks wickedly and laughs along with you. "Yes, but... Mr. Greenbow?"  He then 
stops, looking at you thoughtfully.  "So... seriously, did I interrupt anything... or did I 
just save you from a fate worse than Death?"

Dinah Lance rolls her eyes and shakes her head, lifting a hand to unpin her hair and let it 
cascade down her shoulders as she strolls gracefully to the kitchen. "It was either that or 
'Mr. Olive'." She pauses to grab the Listerine next to the sink and take a mouthful, swishing 
it around for several seconds then spitting it out. The cupboard door opens, and she takes a 
wineglass out, opening the fridge and filling it. After the first sip she looks at you. 
Finally. "Please. What do you think? If I was seriously dating he'd be a decade older and 
....well. You know the rest."

Oliver Queen nods. "Yeah... I know what you mean..." he says as he stands in the door. 
"Sorry about stopping by unannounced, but... well, you know how hard it is for my secretary 
to send out missives these days." he grins wickedly. "So... need some help with the rest of 
that wine bottle... or are you going to let me stand here and die of thirst?"

Dinah Lance drops a wink on you and lifts her chin. "Get your ass in here and make yourself 
at home. You always do." Dinah examines the toe of her shoe before kicking them both off 
comfortably. "Your favorite label is in the lower cabinet to the left of the fridge." 
(I'm a fool.) she thinks. "Old habits die hard.

Oliver Queen grins as he walks into the kitchen and looks for his wine. "And old men die 
harder..." he adds as he starts looking for a wine glass. "But dropping in unannounced is 
one habit I'm trying to break... I wouldn't have come back this time if it hadn't been for 
your invitation... I promised to come back before I left town..."

The words hit like a sledgehammer to Dinah's gut. Leave town. (Oh.) she thinks dully, 
(So he's gone again. You didn't really expect...? No.). A tolerant and gentle smile suffuses 
her features as she hands the corkscrew over then defensively folds her arms over her chest. 
In a congenial tone, she says with a practiced smile "So this is 'Goodbye Stranger'?"

Oliver Queen shakes his head as he emerges from the kitchen. "Not even close, pretty bird." 
he says with a grin. "I'm just going to Metropolis to find Roy... and I'm not leaving for a 
few days yet..."

She gives a soft exhale, then pads in bare feet after you, her features turning somewhat 
suspicious. Then her natural maternal instinct takes over. "Roy's accounted for. He doesn't 
need finding." She says it almost defensively. In truth, she's a bit threatened by this 
paternal streak Oliver is showing. SHE has always been the glue. She eyes her former lover 
with some misgiving over her wineglass as she sips it, a part of her wishing for current 
status.

Oliver Queen looks at you, notcing the sudden defensive tone. "Did I say find?" he says 
questioningly. "I meant I need to go talk to him. No, I got his address..." he eyes you softly, 
confused. "Do you want to sit down?" he says softly.

Dinah Lance lifts her chin then crosses to the sofa and sits down. Her legs cross as she takes 
a moment to stare at the wood grain of the coffee table and compose her thoughts. Finally, she 
waits for you. And when the time is right she looks out at the wall of windows and surveys the 
Gotham skyline, asking succinctly "Why are you stirring up a hornet's next? I believe that you 
want to change...but Ollie...don't you think you're going to push Roy too hard too fast?"

Oliver Queen crosses over to the couch and sits next to you. "Well, Connor is still gone and... 
my other business isn't panning out as well as I'd hoped. I don't really have much else to 
shoot for. But don't worry... I'm not going to rush in and expect us to be the Partridge Family 
overnight. I need to take voice lessons, for one thing..." he says with a soft smirk as he sips 
his wine.

Dinah Lance secretly thrills, her every atom humming at sheer proximity to yours as you sit 
down next to her. She'd never show it, though. Instead she leans back into the couch and sips 
her own glass, thoughtfully wording her next. "Ollie, I don't think we'll all be one big happy
 family either. We're all warped and dysfunctional, which is part of our charm." She takes a 
deep breath as she lowers her glass and her eyes slide to yours. "But we're not looking for 
salvation either. It WORKS. We can rely on each other and we know all the insecurities and 
inconsistencies. And weaknesses. Namely you." Dinah eyes you guardedly. "If you're going to 
change that and leave six months from now, I'll hunt you down."

Oliver Queen nods at the threat. "Yeah... I guess all of you did kinda unite yourselves into 
one big family of "Ollie is scum" cultists" he says evenly, though that thought really does 
upset him a lot more than he lets on. "No, Dinah... we're never gonna be one big happy 
family... but I think I'll be happy for us being a family, however flawed it is. And the 
only way I'm leaving six months from now is if you all tell me point blank that I was 
right the last time I left and that despite my wanting to fix things, I can't, then I'll walk 
off and you'll never see me again."

You say "Short of that... nothing is going to stop me from trying to do what I should have done
years ago..."

The very thought makes all the muscles in Dinah's throat clench. It is a few moments later when 
her brow furrows and she whispers fiercely "You don't know how wrong you are." Her volume gains, 
as does the moisture in her eyes as she looks at you incredulously, and with fierce pride and 
yes, anger. "Do you have any idea what we went through when you....you died? Do you have any 
clue as to what it felt like to be totally robbed of someone you love daily?" Her gaze hardens. 
"Probably not." She looks away.

Oliver Queen sighs. "Actually, I do..." he says as he looks in your direction. "It's probably a 
lot like how I've felt every day I've been back that I haven't been with you..." he says with a 
surprising (for him) calmness in the face of the storm that is your fury. Usually, Ollie would 
give as good as he got. But... and if you venture a glance at his eyes it will be all too 
apparent... but, he is really hurting and he looks so totally... lost.

In that moment Dinah's eyes meet yours, and her own lashes flutter shut vulnerable. "Oh god 
Ollie, " she groans, "Don't..."

Oliver Queen sighs as he closes his own eyes. "Dinah. I have missed you. I know that's all 
in the past, but I still miss you. Hearing your voice... seeing your smile... just having 
you around and I'd be lying to us both if I tried to deny that..."

Dinah tries with all her might to ignore the curious flip-flop in her chest.  She looks over 
at you with solemn features. "Just so you know how we've adjusted." She rises swiftly and 
crosses to the door. Matter-of-factly, she states "I'm booting you out again. I don't need 
trouble."

Oliver Queen stands up, no arguments and moves to the door. "Fine... I'll go." he says as he 
throws his duffle bag back over the floor. "Dinah." he says evenly as he looks you back in 
the eyes, his own sorrowful look mirroring your own. "Dinah... you know how you told me once 
that I should be more honest with you?"

A brief grimace twists her lips, and passes. She looks up at you and fairly braces herself, 
tough enough for anything. Still, her voice is husky. "Yes?"

A brief glance and a bracing of himself for any physical blows that may come from this. 
"I'm trying to be honest... but I don't know how much good it's going to do if we keep 
lying to ourselves..." He pauses for only a second and then steps out the door. "Take care 
of yourself, kid."

Dinah tries to fathom the full scope and depth of that remark, and perhaps reaches a sad 
conclusion. She simply nods once, her eyes full of longing and regret--then abruptly 
snuffed short. "I understand. Just remember, I've always got your back if you need it." 
Her words ring with no nonsense finality as she gives a slight smile and false wave that 
she does not feel. "Good night."

Oliver Queen smiles back, although he feels like throwing himself off a cliff. He gets all the 
way to the staircase before he mutters a soft "damnit" and then bangs his head against the wall.