but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[overprivileged]

Mocktail.

[But he will fix one for Zoe, and pass it over to her with a smile.

"I'll take it," Zoe smiles, before leaning in to give him a kiss one the cheek. "Merry Christmas."]

Merry Christmas. And, now that you're here, we can show William what he's missing.

[He pulls out his phone and crouches down in front of his sister and Mia, before pulling up selfie mode.]

C'mon. Everyone get in here.

[Zoe tucks her arm through Connor and pulls him in closer, getting into place so Quentin can snap the shot.]

[upskill]

( everyone shuffles closer, JR and her heels crouching from the back so that everyone is in it. the picture snaps and everyone straightens up again. )

Would you ever consider ditching City Hall for Parliament? I think you could do wonders whipping for the Labour party.

[canarying]

[Zoe shakes her head.]

Much as I would love seeing you more often while you're at school, I feel like I'd make a lot more headway here, even with the assholes.

["Besides, your dad would be lost without you, even with Dinah keeping him in line," Mia teases and Zoe shakes her head.]

Don't even get me started. He found out that a mayor in New York had made me a loose job offer and he threw a fit.

[Everyone's phone dings with the new entry to the group chat.]

[upskill]

( She knows it's a shallow, selfish ask. She always has to try.

JR turns, eyeing what's being cooked and then taps on their group chat. )

Always a master of the angle, brother.

( Connor gets his own hug in with Zoe.

"Zoe, did you do Christmas with Dinah and your dad?" )

[canarying]

["If it's going to be shared, best to get everyone's good side."

Zoe nods.]

We do Christmas Eve, though. Always have.

[A holdover from their Latino roots. They may not do midnight mass, but staying up late to open their presents is a Ramirez family right of passage.]

He and Dinah are drove out to see Curtis and his husband for dinner.

[infiltratingly]

( "Not always possible, but you did it," she says, giving her brother props.

Curtis is energy and loves entertaining, so Connor can see why Zoe chose the cool kids over Curtis and his husband. )

Whatever Q's making is almost ready. Smells good, though.

( Which is all they can ask for.

"Whatevers. Plural. He planned courses," his sister says. )

Hope you brought your appetite.

[canarying]

Always.

[Mia leans over the counter to try and get a better look at what's coming. "If you're going to break into my apartment the least you can do is feed me."

Zoe shakes her head.]

We didn't break in. Jay Michael knows we're here.

["Yeah, you plotting with my roommate behind my back is a conversation we're going to have later."]

[upskill]

Can we talk about the roommate for a second? First of all, hot. Second of all, Mia Queen with a roommate. Where did you even find him?

( She's not even giving her a hard time, now. She's just curious. )

[blackstarred]

It's not that hot. And he's gay.

[So he's certainly not hot for her.]

We met in London. He's a friend of Coop's.

["Coop being the mysterious boyfriend William is hiding from us."

Mia rolls her eyes.]

He's not hiding him from you.

[upskill]

He's gay and hot.

( Hot it still hot. But, fine, to her point. )

That's right. Zoe and Connor have met him. It's just timing. Small world with William and Cooper and then you shacking up with his friend. Even better, I don't think anybody involved is British.

( "They aren't," Connor confirms. )

[blackstarred]

Okay, Jay Michael and I are living together because he needed to get out of my dad's house and I had an extra bedroom. Also why are you making this sound like it's some kind of conspiracy?

[Because it's not. It really is just timing.]

[upskill]

It's not a conspiracy. I wouldn't spend more time with uncle Oliver than I needed to, either, even though I love the Queen estate.

( She does love aunt Laurel. She's always one to encourage her audaciousness, something her mother doesn't always love. She is partial toto their parents, but that's a childhood home for you. )

We're done with the third degree. Besides, something smells good.

[blackstarred]

Yes, please. Let's eat.

[And they will settle in for food and chatting, that eventually devolves to laughter and stories from Oxford from the twins, and as they're getting ready to clear some of the dishes, the front door opens to reveal Jay Michael and his boyfriend returning home from family Christmas.

Wes raises his eyebrows. "Did you know Mia was having a party?"]

Mia didn't know Mia was having a party.

[pumping]

We were going to be out and her friends insisted it was good for her.

( He should sound guiltier than he is, but they did enter to laughter and merriment, did they not? )

It had Zoe's stamp of approval.

( "Which goes a long way," Connor contributes. )

[blackstarred]

A head's up might have been nice.

[She's just saying. She's trying to be less cranky though because she does love her friends. It's just been a weird couple days.

"Advanced notice was not part of our friendship agreement," Quentin smirks. "Sorry, Queenie."]

[pumping]

And they asked for... none.

( He consults with his boyfriend. How bad did he do, really?

"And he obliged, which we appreciated. One step closer to being a part of the cook kids," JR says, giving him a wink. And then, back to Wes, again. )

I don't know if I want to be a part of the cool kids.

[mojitos]

I work for their father. I'm not allowed to comment either way.

["Smart boy, Wes," Quentin grins, before holding up a plate of the remaining h'orderves. "Mini-quiche?"

Wes shrugs, before moving closer to take one.

Mia sighs, before shaking her head. "I'm going to patrol. I'll be back in a couple hours."]

[pumping]

I'm sure you could say whatever you wanted.

( But, oh, mini-quiche.

"Disagreeing won't matter," Connor says, also stepping up for a mini-quiche.

"You just think we won't be here in a few hours," JR calls out to her. )

[blackstarred]

One can hope.

[Mia glances back at them as she grabs her jacket.]

We don't have a guest room and I've slept in your bed at home. It's a much better option for you.

[upskill]

Well, I'm not tired, are you, dear brother?

( Connor peels away from the tray of food, swallowing the quiche, and follows Mia, grabbing his jacket.

"Can I watch your back?" )

[blackstarred]

["Nope. Quentin grins at her. "Not even a little."]

Uh-huh.

[She knows she's going to come home to JR in her bed and Quentin asleep on her couch but that at least is familiar, friendly. Or maybe she'll be lucky and Jay Michael will convince them to go home.

She knows she can at least trust Zoe to sleep in her own bed.

But Connor's offer surprises her, but not in a bad way.]

Yeah, sure. Grab your coat.

[infiltratingly]

Way ahead of you.

( He knows when Mia needs an escape out. And since his brother can't be the one that provides it, something compels him to -- offer. It's a difference in how Mia looks at him and interacts - since her big change. It feels more comfortable. Sensitive. Something.

He grabs his coat off the wall and says goodbye to everyone.

Jay Michael goes to pour himself a glass of wine and the party falls into more banter while Jay Michael gets the third degree. He can handle it.

Connor stays close to Mia, following her to whichever graveyard she feels like starting in. )

[blackstarred]

[It's a familiar one. She doesn't even realize she's wandering that way until they're moving through the gate and into the quiet of the graveyard. She's mostly been quiet as they go, not really sure what to say but eventually they come to a stop in front of a headstone, and she sighs.

Felicity Megan Smoak
Wife, Mother and Friend

She doesn't know why talking about it to Connor is easier, but maybe it's because he isn't trying to wrench it out of her.]

You know she made Dad promise not to bury her on the Queen property? Aside from thinking it was weird and creepy, she made a joke about how she needed a guarantee that he would leave the house once she was gone.

[She frowns.]

Didn't one hundred percent work. He still didn't really want to go anywhere for a while, but he would to see her.

[infiltratingly]

( Something flashes for a second, a memory he doesn't have, has never had, finding Felicity in the near future - a different future. Alive and well. Not missing.

He flashes back as Mia starts to talk. Her voice grounds him there and makes that memory feel distant, like a deja vu he's never experienced.

He guesses she also asked him not to cremate her. Same problem. )

He got out eventually. When it mattered. ( For her and William. He keeps his distance, looking back down at her grave, and then he remembers an assault on a skyscraper. He blinks, looking right, half walking for no reason as he walks in his memory? toward Mia. He kisses Mia, which has never happened. In some lair he's never seen. Bringing his hands to his head, other memories shoot out at him, a separate childhood, the schism between him and his brother - Deathstroke...

His dad. Oliver. Mia. Back then. And then...

It ends.

Two halves make a whole. A rehabilitated, polite kid who took the more noble path and the punk, the hero that fought the man.

His eyes open and he brings his hands down, finding Mia again with his eyes. With different eyes. )

[blackstarred]

[There's something about the way that Connor says it that draws Connor's attention out of her own pity party. His voice sounds far away, and she glances back to him with a curious expression.

There's something in his gaze that's just ... something not quite ...]

You okay?