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“Hey Hon, you might want to wake up, the grandkids will be here soon.” Quentin grunted as Donna shook his shoulder. “Remember Felicity, Oliver, Laurel, and Tommy were all going to that thing, so we have all four of the kids today.”
“I’m up, I’m up,” Quentin Lance groused as he got out of bed and stretched. Years of working odd shifts as a police officer had given him an awful sleep schedule so once he had retired he had a bad habit of staying up late and then sleeping in. He barely had time to get dressed and start drinking his first cup of Donna’s admittedly not so great coffee when the doorbell rang.
“You have a key use it!’ He hollered at the door as Donna shook her head at him and started toward the door to open it. Before she reached it however, Laurel had it unlocked and was coming in with Robbie and his overnight backpack, with Oliver right behind her with Mia and Tom.
“Daddy, it’s polite to knock or ring the bell when you arrive before just walking in.” Laurel said as she glanced over to Oliver, “There’s things that I don’t need to see, and I learned that lesson the hard way.” The thought of that made Quentin queasy, but the look on Queen’s face was worth the mental image.
“GQ!” Mia squealed pushing past her aunt and hugging Quentin.
“Hey Sweetheart, ready to spend the night with GQ and DiDi?” Quentin asked as he picked her up and returned the hug.
“Can we have ice cream for a snack?” Mia asked, sticking her lower lip out.
“Mia Dearden!” Oliver scolded, “You just had breakfast.”
“She’s just like her mommy!” Donna cooed at her youngest grandchild as she took her from Quentin and brought her into the living room where the boys already had a video game going.
“Sorry Quentin,” Oliver apologized as he set the two duffle bags with the kid’s overnight things down on the floor.
“Will Livy be by later?” Lance asked as he shrugged at Oliver’s apology. At sixteen the teenager kept her own schedule and unlike her siblings, she was old enough to stay at the mansion by herself.
“I’m not sure, she said something about having a study date with her group and but that the group might cancel. Knowing her, she’ll be over here to spend time with the both of you at some point.”
Quentin could hardly believe that a child of Oliver Queen would voluntarily have a study date, but his granddaughter was a member of the school’s honor society. “I’ll text her later and remind her.”
Laurel gave her father a kiss on the cheek and said, “Thanks for taking them for the day Dad.” Glancing at her watch she continued, “Come on Ollie, we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.” She gave her father another kiss and then was out the door with Oliver following right behind her.
While Donna entertained the kids in the living room, Quentin sat down at the dining room table to read the newspaper before the kids stormed in demanding lunch or a snack. He was just about to the sports section when a little blonde head popped up under his arm. “Hey Mia,” he said as she clambered into his lap. Curling up she rested her head on his shoulder, “Want me to tell the boys to let you play?” At times Robbie and Tom had to be reminded to include the younger ones in their games.
“I wanna play with you,” Mia said looking up at him with her big blue eyes. “Please GQ.” Her little lip stuck out in the most adorable pout. Donna had said over and over again how much Mia looked like a tiny Felicity, and then Moira would add that she acted just like a young Oliver. How had his life changed so much that he was now grandpa to Oliver Queen’s kids. He remembered the first time he heard the Queen’s name and at that point he never even dreamed that he would eventually have some as his grandchildren.
***Arrow***
Diana Lance sighed as she stacked the papers she had to grade on the family’s small kitchen table while Quentin bustled around the area making supper for their family. “What’s wrong? Those rich kids still pains in the ass?”
When Diana took the job at Starling Prep one of the benefits they had was that their daughters, Sara and Laurel, were able to attend for free. With Quentin's job as a police detective and hers a professor, being able to send their daughters to an academically challenging school had been way out of their budget until she had been hired at the school. Both girls had been at the school for several years now and Diana disliked how the parents always thought that they knew best, but for Sara’s sake she would continue working there until her youngest graduated.
“Right now, just one student is vexing me.” Diana sighed as she grabbed a paper to grade. “Oliver Queen.”
Frowning Quentin turn around, “Queen Consolidated, Queen?”
“One and the same. He’s an extremely bright boy can easily do the work, but he refuses to apply himself.” She shook her head in frustration. “I’ll call him up and he can do all of the classwork, but once he goes back to his seat he’ll sleep or pass notes or do anything but pay attention.” Seeing his wife’s agitation. Quentin put the spoon down and went to massage her neck. “Ummmm, that feels heavenly.”
“Is there anything else bothering you?” He asked as he pressed a soft kiss to his wife’s curls before going back to preparing dinner at the stove.
She sighed, “Like I said his grades aren’t great, but his parents are the take my money give him good grades type. If he would only apply himself he would be making top grades and his parents wouldn’t…“ She didn’t get to finish her sentence as the home phone started ringing.
Laurel came running out of her bedroom, calling “I’ll get it!” She grabbed the phone off the wall. “Hello, Lance residence.” After listening a second her face fell. “It’s for you Daddy.” She said as she held out the phone to her father.
Quentin put the lasagna in the oven and set the timer. “Were you hoping it was a boy calling you Princess?” He teased his daughter as he took the phone from her. Laurel sighed and went back to her room. “Hello?” He listened to the voice on the other end for a bit, “Okay, thanks Lu, I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up the phone and turned to his wife. “Sorry Di, supper’s almost ready. All you have to do is get the salad out of the fridge, heat up the garlic bread, and get the lasagna out of the oven.” He grabbed his gun, badge, from his gun safe and his keys from the bowl by the door, “Save some for me.” He said as kissed his wife goodbye, ignoring her look of resentment at him being called in on his day off, and then he was out the door.
The next time Oliver Queen’s name came to his attention was when he walked in from work to find his two teenage daughters screaming at each other. Diana was still at school chaperoning one of the clubs she sponsored so it was just him and the girls that afternoon. He had been looking forward to sitting on the couch, putting on whatever movies the girls wanted, eating pizza, and spending some quality time with them, but as soon as he opened the door he could hear yet another one of their fights, which seemed to be constantly occurring whenever they were in the same room lately.
“How could you? You knew I liked him first!” Sara was screaming at her sister.
“How is it my fault that he asked me out?” Laurel countered snidely. “It’s not like I have powers of seduction or something.”
“That’s enough both of you!” Quentin bellowed, “Go to your rooms and cool off. Sara, you’re already grounded, don’t make it longer.” Sara screamed at him in anger and stormed off to her room slamming the door, while Laurel stormed down the hallway closing hers just slightly quieter.
Walking over to the liquor cabinet Quentin poured himself a healthy shot of whisky wishing, that his two baby girls could just get along. Lately it just seemed like all they could or would do is fight. Two days ago, he had been about to go to bed when Laurel had appeared in the living room and told him that Sara had snuck out of the house to go to a party that Tommy Merlyn was throwing. He had called the squad and they had broken up the party, taking in and booking both Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, the party’s hosts, while he hauled his youngest daughter home and grounded her for the foreseeable future.
Knowing that Sara needed time to cool down Quentin decided to talk to Laurel first. He knocked back the rest of his drink and then went to her room. Knocking on the door and opening it he saw that she was sitting at her desk working on her homework. She worked hard and got good grades and was currently planning on going to law school. He wasn’t the happiest about that choice, but at least she didn’t want to be a cop where she could get hurt. “Hey Sweetheart, care to explain to me why you and Sara are yelling at each other this time?”
Laurel turned around in her chair, her straight brown hair braided and hanging over one shoulder and smiled at her Dad, “She’s just jealous that the hottest guy at school asked me out today.”
Quentin could feel his head start to pound, of course it was due to a boy. “And who is this boy?”
“Mom had him in her class last year, Oliver Queen?”
“One of the degenerates that was hauled away for the party that he threw with his friend that your sister snuck out to and is currently grounded for? That Queen?”
“Relax Daddy, he’s a good guy. It was his friend Tommy who threw the party, Oliver was just there and was being a supportive friend.”
Knowing that his daughter wouldn’t listen, no matter what he said, he resisted the urge to ground her until she was forty, “Finish your homework and stay in here until I call you for supper, you and your sister have got to start getting along for your mother’s and I’s sake if for nothing else!”
Laurel snorted, “Like you and Mom get along?” Seeing the angry look on his face and knowing that she had stepped to far, she turned around and continued to work on her homework. Leaving her room, Quentin went to Sara’s and knocked and heard a muffled, “Come in.”
Sara was curled up on the bed holding the stuffed rabbit that she’d had since she was little to her chest, tear tracks evident down her face. “It’s not fair Daddy!” She cried, her braces made her slight lisp worse and he had to fight a smile.
He sighed, and went to sit beside her. “Life’s not always fair, sweetheart. But what’s not fair about this?”
“That bitch…”
“Hey! Watch your language! You do not speak about your sister like that!” Quentin demanded.
“Sorry,” Sara mumbled. “But she stole Ollie from me!”
“Stole?”
“Yes!” She sighed dramatically, sitting up and leaning on her dad. “I told her that I liked him and that I wanted to ask him out at that party I went to. Then that b…” She stopped herself. “Ratted me out to you, so I didn’t get a chance to do more than socialize a bit because she was jealous and wanted him for herself!”
Quentin sighed in frustration, her blood alcohol levels had indicated how much ‘socializing’ that she had done. “Listen Sweetie, he’s not the only guy at your school and I’m sure that there are many that are better men than him…”
“Ugh, you just don’t get it!” Sara cried in frustration.
“You’re right I don’t.” Quentin agreed, “But I was once a teenage boy, so I know what they’re like.”
“Yeah, back in the stone age.”
“Hey, watch it.” Lance warned jokingly as he nudged her.
“I know Daddy, it just hurts and I don’t know why Laurel hates me so much to go and steal the guy that I liked, like this.” She wrapped her arms around her Dad. “She wasn’t even interested in him until I told her how I felt about him.”
Quentin wrapped his arm around his youngest, “I’m sorry sweetheart. Listen I gotta go make supper. I know that you have homework to do and then after supper you and your sister are going to talk and bury the hatchet. I can’t take the you two of you arguing the way you have been.”
She leaned up, “Sorry Daddy.”
“Thank you, now make sure to tell your sister that.” He said as he got up off the bed and headed towards the door.
Sara muttered something under her breath that Quentin probably didn’t want to hear as he left.
That wasn’t the last argument that the sisters had by a long shot, but they didn’t have any more about Oliver until after his death. From that point on Oliver Queen became a constant figure in the Lance’s lives with Laurel going over to his house and him coming over to theirs all the time. Quentin never really approved of the guy or his and Laurel’s on and off again relationship and he knew that his daughter could easily find someone much better than the Queen boy who loved a good party, had been arrested on drug charges multiple times, and had cheated on his baby girl more than once. He had even threatened to tase the kid when he closed the door to Laurel’s room when they were in there together.
Then came the day that Quentin found Laurel sobbing in the living room, a complete mess. Sara was sitting beside her and looking completely bewildered. Diana was off to her book club so it was just him and the girls that evening. “Sweetheart what’s wrong?”
Laurel was shaking from the force of her sobs. “He - He - He.” Was all that she could get out.
Helplessly Quentin looked to Sara for help.
“I don’t know, I came back to find her like this. She wouldn’t tell me either.” Sara said.
He sighed. He needed a drink before having to deal with this mess, but he couldn’t, so he promised himself that he would have one as a reward after he got this figured out. Kneeling in front of his weeping daughter he put his hands on her shoulders, “Hey, take a deep breath with me.” He inhaled deeply. “In, hold, and out. In, hold, and out.” Once he got her breathing back under control he tried again. “What’s going on?”
“Ollie - he - he got some - some bitch pregnant.” Laurel kept taking large hiccuping breaths.
Sara gasped, “What?” She took her phone out of her pocket and hurried off.
Quentin though that had to have been the hardest day for Laurel, but it wasn’t even a week later when the news came about The Queen’s Gambit going down, with everyone presumed dead. At that news Laurel completely broke down.
The Lance’s decided to attend the funeral for Robert and Oliver as a family. Quentin put on his formal uniform and accompanied his wife and daughters to the funerals. The service was a somber affair and Laurel was holding up well, except for shooting daggers at the young lady who was standing beside Tommy Merlyn. With Laurel’s reaction and how close she was being kept to the family he assumed that this was the girl that Oliver had impregnated.
Then at the reception everything went to Hell. Sara was crying softly and looking at the picture of Oliver that was prominently displayed in the space, when Laurel turned to her sister and tore into her, “Would you just shut up, it’s not like you were dating him!”
“Says who?” Sara said snidely, with a challenging look on her face.
“You bitch! Of course, you were sleeping with him!” Laurel yelled at her sister.
“Well you kept on bossing him around and wouldn't’t listen!” Sara returned, not backing down at all.
Diana and Quentin both stood up to intervene, he grabbed Sara’s arm, pulling her to him, “This is not the place!” He hissed into her ear.
Looking up to find Laurel he saw that Tommy had ahold of her and was walking with her out of the room. Looking back, he thought that would be the last he would hear of Oliver Queen.
***ARROW***
He had never expected for either of his daughters to befriend Felicity Smoak, the girl who Oliver had knocked up, but the girl was sweet and had a way of drawing people in. Then came the day where it was announced that Oliver Queen was alive. He was still mad at the kid for cheating on his daughter multiple times and he wished that the kid had stayed lost. While he was dealing with that, the Hood guy then popped up on his radar. While it was a huge stretch of the imagination that think that a womanizer like Oliver Queen could be the guy in green chasing criminals and putting arrows in them, the timing of the Hood’s arrival was a bit too suspicious for Quentin. Plus, there was something about the man now that just set his teeth on edge.
For his birthday, all Quentin wanted was to have a meal with his two girls, but they both asked if they could bring someone with them, and knowing who his daughters were seeing it would most likely be Oliver and Tommy. While he wasn’t happy about it, he did love his girls and was happy that they were finally getting along.
Laurel and Tommy were the first to arrive. “Happy Birthday Mr. Lance,” Tommy greeted as he held up the to go containers from Quentin’s favorite Italian restaurant. “I know it’s not your famous chicken cacciatore, but Laurel has assured me that this was your favorite dish.” Laurel gave him a kiss on the cheek as they walked into his apartment.
“Happy Birthday, Dad!” She showed him the gift bag she carried. “It just a little something even though I know that you said no presents. Go and sit down, Tommy and I’ll be getting the food out and ready. Knowing Ollie, he and Sara will be late.”
“Thanks Sweetheart.” He took the drink that he had poured himself and settled back in his recliner to worry about this dinner. He wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, he just hoped that a brawl wouldn’t break out during the dinner.
The doorbell rang alerting them to the arrival of Sara and Oliver. “Happy Birthday, Daddy!” Sara exclaimed as she entered holding up the cake. “It’s not a birthday without cake.” She grinned at her Dad, “I got your favorite red velvet.” He walked over to take the cake from her and give his youngest a hug.
Quentin looked at Sara, “I do believe that that’s your favorite.” She just grinned in response.
“Happy Birthday, sir.” Oliver said. He also held a gift bag. “Sara said that you enjoy chocolates.”
Grudgingly Quentin look the bag with a gruff, “Thanks.”
“Who wants food?” Tommy called from the kitchen. Soon the group was sitting at the table with their food in front of them quietly eating. Sara was the one to break the awkward silence.
“So, want to guess what’s the weirdest thing that happened at work today?” Without waiting for an answer Sara forged ahead. “This dude comes in to the ER and he was like waddling. Turns out that he got a dildo stuck up his butt.”
“Oh my God,” Laurel breathed, a horrified look on her face.
“No, no, no, it gets better,” Sara giggled. “Then he decides to get salad tongs to try to pull it out. But!” She paused for dramatic effect, “They got stuck too!” She bursts out laughing, quickly followed by everybody else.
“So, get this,” Quentin starts. “The other day I’m transporting this female suspect to prison and she’s acting all fidgety and stuff. So ya know they have to do a cavity search.” Both Tommy and Oliver flinch in memory putting a smile on the detective’s face while Sara is grinning and Laurel is looking slightly less horrified. “The female officer comes out holding a loaded gun that my suspect had hid in her nether regions.”
The table lost it at that. The rest of the dinner turned out to be quite enjoyable with everyone pitching in a story that was almost too crazy to be true. The tides turned that day for Quentin and he actually started to like both Merlyn and Queen, although he liked Queen even better when Sara broke up with him. But his life forever changed when he was attending Felicity and Oliver’s wedding. While there he met a stunning woman who just so happened to be Felicity Smoak’s mother.
Donna was everything that he wasn’t. She was outgoing, cheerful, and achingly beautiful. They both fell hard for each other and not even six months later they were married, making him Grandpa to Oliver’s two kids Olivia and Tom, then later with his sweet little Mia. He and Oliver may have worn many different hats in each other’s lives, but he was so very thankful to be a grandfather to the Queen children.
***ARROW***
It was the day of his oldest daughter’s wedding and Quentin was a bit nervous. Not because of who Laurel was marrying, he had already accepted Tommy Merlyn into the family a long time ago, but he was worried that he would trip while he was walking his baby girl down the aisle or stumble over the words that he was supposed to say.
Before he walked Laurel down the aisle he had a gift to give. Knocking on the door where the groomsmen were getting ready he held two boxes and waited to be let in. Oliver opened the door looking surprised to see him. “Quentin.” He greeted.
“Queen,” Lance acknowledged stepping into the spacious room. Despite the prominence of the two getting married, they both had wanted a small wedding so the only groomsmen were Oliver, and another friend of Tommy’s.
Tommy came over to Quentin with a wide smile, while Oliver went to make sure his son didn’t start taking off the suit he was wearing as the ring barer. “If you are here to threaten me, Ollie already covered that.”
Oliver picked up his restless and squirming son and joined Tommy beside Lance. “Ollie did what?” Oliver asked.
“Threatened me with gross bodily harm if I hurt Laurel.” Tommy answered easily.
“Uh, no, I’m not here to do that, and even if I was and Laurel found out she would kill me. No, I wanted to talk to you boys about something else.” Quentin held out the top box to Tommy who opened it. “I know it doesn’t look like much, and I’m sure you could buy many a million times over, but my father gave me that watch on my wedding day. I felt it was appropriate and fitting to give it to you on your wedding day.”
Tommy opened the box his eyes wet, “Thank you sir. That means a lot to me. I will treasure it always.” He slipped off his expensive watch and slipped the simple gold one on. Smiling he held his wrist up, “Think Laurel will notice?”
“I hope so,” Quentin answered with a smile. Then he turned to Oliver, “Don’t worry Queen, I didn’t leave you out.” He handed the other box to Oliver, this is for your upcoming wedding. After learning of the big green secret, which he hadn’t been surprised about at all, he had kind of become the team dad helping out and mentoring when Oliver and the rest of them needed it.
Switching his son over to his other arm Oliver opened the box that he had been given to see a pair of cufflinks; silver with a green stone in the middle. “Thank you, sir. They will look great with my suit.”
Any further talk was interrupted by a sharp rap and Thea sticking her head in, “This is your ten-minute warning, folks, so be ready to roll.”
With a deep breath Quentin opened the door and followed Thea out, he had a daughter to marry off.