Oliver listened to the social worker patiently, letting Janet voice her concerns about her charge. When she was finished, he said, “You could have led with the fact the girl is from Star City. That’s my hometown.”
Like Ollie himself, the statement itself was a bit blunt, but ultimately well-intentioned and good-natured.
“How long do you have before she’s out of the system?”
--
Good natured as it was meant to be, Janet hadn’t even thought of it that way. In her head where the child was from really shouldn’t have mattered. Mentally she shrugged the statement off, but she understood. At least she thought.
“I’ve been known to focus more on the child, unfortunately where they come from is less a concern than where they are going to go.” That much was true. But if this was the thing to lead with, she’d make a mental note for later....
“Only a few months. She ages out of the system when she turns 18 in November...”
--
Oliver was silent for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his approach had softened. “Look, I have some experience with teenagers, and I could keep an eye on her, but I need you to level with me. “
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ollie realized he’d let his gut override his brain. He had no right to make that promise without talking to Mia and Connor (and Roy), who all deserved a say in a decision like this.
He just couldn’t pass up any opportunity to save a damsel in distress.
--
She had been expecting this. But there were some things that she knew, she knew she wouldn’t be able to tell him. What she’d been doing, why she’d been taken away. Things that were literally kept from public knowledge by the State of New York’s laws about dealing with minors. She’d have to do the best that she could...
More importantly had Oliver Queen himself just said that he could take her in? That was more surprising. Janet certainly hadn’t expected that. She’d thought she might get a lead on a family or someone else... but she wasn’t going to argue.
Taking a breath she steeled herself for the question that was coming, trying to figure out the best way to word it would be without giving away the secrets that she wasn’t allowed to. “I can certainly do my best, Oliver.”