Page 37 of Arrow

Dax's lips curled into a smirk. “Seems our corrupt friend Mills forgot about cloud backups when he tried to erase the evidence. Amateur move.”

A collective chuckle, tinged with relief, rippled through the room. Arrow felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Maybe, just maybe, they could make this right.

As the meeting wound down, Zach approached Arrow, his expression somber. “I had no idea... about any of this. I'll talk to Catie, let her know what really happened that night.”

Mace nodded, joining them. “Yeah, and I'll be having a serious chat with Mia about her behavior. That's not how we treat people, especially not someone who's been through hell like Emilee.”

Arrow clapped both men on the shoulder, grateful for their support. As the others filed out, he couldn't help but think of Emilee, hoping that someday soon, he could give her the justice and peace she so desperately deserved.

Arrow's boots thudded softly against the hardwood as he entered his house, his mind still reeling from the day's revelations. He found Emilee curled up on the couch, her dark hair spilling over a throw pillow as she flipped through a magazine. The half-eaten pizza sat on the table in front of her.

“Hi, Daddy!” She bounced up onto her knees and reached for her usual hug and kiss from him. He hugged her tightly, holding her a bit longer than usual.

“Hey, Kitten,” he said. “Did you finish your paper?”

“Uh huh. It was on recidivism rates and it was b-o-r-i-n-g.” He hated to break her out of her little headspace, but it was necessary.

“I’m going to need to talk to big girl Emilee tonight,” he said, his voice gentler than usual.

Emilee's blue eyes met his, a flicker of concern crossing her features. She sat back on the couch and eyed him warily. “What's wrong?”

Arrow sank onto the couch beside her, his large frame dwarfing her shorter figure. “We got the dash cam footage from that night,” he said, watching her carefully. “The night of your accident.”

Emilee stiffened, her fingers clenching around the magazine. “Oh,” she breathed, her usual sarcasm notably absent.

“Do you want to see it?” Arrow asked, his hand finding hers and squeezing gently. “It's... it's not easy to watch, Em. But it's your choice. If you do, I’ll be with you the entire time.”

Emilee swallowed hard, her eyes darting around the room before settling back on Arrow. “I... yeah. I need to see it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Arrow nodded, pulling her onto his lap as he reached for his phone. As he queued up the video, he wrapped his arms around her waist, anchoring her to him.

“I've got you, baby girl,” he murmured into her hair as the footage began to play.

Emilee's body grew tenser with each passing moment, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps as she watched the scene unfold. When Mills' patrol car struck her on-screen self, she let out a choked sob.

“That bastard,” she hissed, her words muffled against Arrow's chest as she buried her face there. “He... he just...”

Arrow held her tightly, his large hand rubbing soothing circles on her back as she broke down. Her sobs tore at his heart, each one feeling like a physical blow.

“I've got you, Em,” he repeated, his own voice rough with emotion. “We're going to make this right, I swear it. Justice is coming for that piece of shit.”

As Emilee's tears soaked through his shirt, Arrow silently renewed his vow. He'd move heaven and earth to make sure she got the justice she deserved, no matter what it took. For a moment, he wondered if he could get to Mills before the arrest warrant made it to him. He let himself fantasize over how he’d make the man suffer. But, he knew he couldn’t do it. If he did, there was a chance he’d be arrested and forced to leave Emilee alone. That was the one thing he wasn’t willing to do. She’d beenthrough too much in her short life, he wouldn’t make her go through any more of it alone.

Emilee's sobs gradually subsided, her body still trembling against Arrow's solid chest. She lifted her tear-stained face, her blue eyes shimmering with a mixture of pain and gratitude.

“Fuck,” she muttered, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “I'm a mess.”

Arrow cupped her face gently, his thumbs brushing away the remnants of her tears. “You're the strongest person I know, Kitten. What you've been through... it would break most people. But not you.”

Emilee let out a watery chuckle. “Yeah, right. I'm the poster child for resilience, sobbing like a baby.”

“Hey,” Arrow's voice was soft but firm. “Crying doesn't make you weak. It makes you human.”

She leaned into his touch, a small smile tugging at her lips. “When did you get so wise, old man?”

Arrow smirked. “Watch who you are calling old, little girl.”

Emilee rolled her eyes, but her smile widened. Arrow's heart swelled at the sight. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

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