//.//

"When my son told me he was moving away to Chicago to become a doctor, I simply laughed," the man started, causing the crowd to chuckle. "I thought to myself, 'who else would take over the family business'. Then I realised, it's 2016, and women are much stronger leaders than we old men are!" There was another loud laugh amongst the crowd spurred by his words.

"So let me introduce you to our new Vice CEO, my daughter; Camilla Merlyn!" Malcolm cheered as she was motioned to in front of the room of business men and their wives.

"Hey boys," she started, laughing at the whoops she revived from the phrase, "I'm not a doctor, or a ninja, or an assassin, but that just makes me more qualified for this."

Callie mingled with the guests before excusing herself to answer the phone her dad passed her.

"Hey Cal," Tommy's voice crackled through the speaker. The girl giggled as she heard her twins voice.

"Hey Tommy! I miss you so much." She exclaimed, not having realised how much she had missed her brother until her heart panged at the sound of his voice.

"It's okay little Falcon," he said, and Callie paused as she felt a memory of her fighting flash past her face. She shook it aside as she had never fought someone in her life. "I'm alive and breathing and I'm never leaving you."

_____

"You didn't have to get me a gift, Speedy," Oliver said as he spun the small rock around in his palm, studying the marks that were etched into it. Callie sat next to Thea, a grin on her face as she watched the siblings interact.

"It's just a little prerehearsal dinner gesture," Thea shrugged, smirking as she took in Oliver's confused expression.

Callie scoffed, looking at the size of the thing in Oliver's hand. "Well, little is right."

Thea shot her a look, knowing that Callie did actually think it was a nice gesture but was only saying that to wind her up like always. Despite being a Merlyn and not a Queen, Callie had probably spent more time with their family than her own over the course of her life. Tommy and Oliver had been joint at the hip as children, and wherever Tommy had gone so did Callie.

"It's called a Hozen. It symbolizes reconnecting, like you did with Laurel!" Thea tried to explain but Oliver just laughed.

"Thea, it's a rock."

"It's a very thoughtful gesture from your amazingly loving sister."

"Thank you."

"Yeah. That's better."

The three sat in a comfortable silence for a second before they heard the footsteps of the elder Queens approaching them. Callie jumped up, having not seen Moira since she got back from her business trip and greeted the woman with a hug.

"I believe a congratulations are in order, new Vice-CEO I hear!" Moira exclaimed, holding her second daughter at arms length and grinning at the woman. Callie blushed but thanked her before they all turned their attention back to the Queen children.

"Well, what's going on here?"

"Thea gave me a rock," Oliver said, causing everyone to burst into laughter. They laughed for a moment before there was the noise outside of car tyres pulling up and Laurel's figure darted out the front door from Callie's sideview. The girl politely excused herself and followed after her, knowing exactly who she was about to greet.

She arrived just in time to see Sara and Laurel talking about the necklace that Oliver had given to her recently. Callie stood back as she allowed the sisters to have their reunion without her interrupting.

"Is it a bird?" Sara asked, watching as Laurel lightly ran her finger along the black design on the necklace.

"It's a canary," Sara jumped back slightly from Laurel, her eyes widening as she looked at the necklace again. Callie and Laurel both frowned, confused as to what she had just done. "Sara?"

Sara shook her head, pulling Laurel into a tight hug as she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of longing for her sister that she had never felt before.

"It's just that I missed you," the girl covered up, before her eyes landed on the dark haired girl standing in the fitting dress behind Laurel.

She let go of her sister, a massive smile now spread across her face. Laurel turned around, seeing Callie standing with her arms crossed and a matching smile facing them. Laurel rolled her eyes, knowing that she was always going to be the third wheel when it came to their relationship.

Sara ran forward with a laugh, wrapping her arms around Callie's neck as she crashed her lips into the other girls. Callie hummed slightly, kissing her back passionately as they reunited.

"Can you two stop and help me move this luggage inside?" Laurel jokingly interrupted, causing them both to groan and grab a suitcase each.

_____

Callie moaned as she flung her head backwards against the pillows on the bed in the guest room that the Queen family had provided for her.

"If you're too loud Ollie and Laurel might hear us, Merlyn," the blond on top of her quipped, pressing her lips back to Callie's neck as she left her trail.

"No marks," Callie muttered, knowing that if Sara was about to start giving her hickeys it would be a lot to explain to the Queen family and her father. Sara groaned but did as the girl asked, understanding where she was coming from.

Callie ran her hands through Sara's hair, pulling the girl up and back to her lips. Sara had her hands pressed against Callie's shoulders as she straddled the girl with a large grin on her face.

"Sara, Callie, we have-" Laurels voice entered the room but was cut off by Oliver sighing at the sight in front of them.

"Hey guys!" Sara grinned from where she was resting above Callie, the raven haired girl now blushing as her two friends had walked in on yet again another makeout session.

Callie lightly pushed Sara off, standing up and moving to hug Laurel.

"Great to see you," she said, Laurel laughing at her antics.

"You guys better stay here overnight so you can get ready for the rehearsal dinner tomorrow," Oliver informed them before he turned to leave the room. "Maybe in separate rooms." He suggested, a laugh coming from them all as they realised it was probably a good idea. Laurel and Oliver left, arm-in-arm as they shot a final glance at the unofficial couple.

"So, separate rooms?" Callie started before being pushed back down to the bed by Sara.

______

"You know, there was a time I thought you two would actually hook up," Laurel confessed to the blonde as they linked arms with their champagne glasses and spoke about Oliver.

"You know I prefer girls," Sara quipped, before spotting a familiar head of thick raven hair standing to her left. "Speaking of which," she murmured, moving away from Laurel and sliding up next to the girl.

"Merlyn," she fondly purred into the girl's ear, drawing her away from the conversation she had been having.

Callie smirked, an eyebrow raising as she studied the blonde in her short jumpsuit before her. The red dress Callie was wearing brought something more lustful about her to Sara's attention.

"Lance, it's been a while," she agreed, pulling the girl into a hug. Sara moved her head subtlety so no-one could see her teeth grazing Callie's ear as they embraced.

"Oh, so we're going to act like I wasn't in your guest room last night?" She husked, sending a shiver down the Merlyn's spine as she referenced their night.

They pulled back, but Callie kept her hands resting dangerously low on Sara's waistline. Another smirk was exchanged as they both recalled the last time they had seen each other - the array of skin brushing against skin, lips clashing together and their bodies moving in and out of the sheets of the spare room in the west wing of the Queen Manor.

"This is my sister, Sara, and our longtime friend Callie," Laurel interrupted their flirtatious moment, sending the two of them a warning look as she knew exactly what sort of things they had been whispering to each other.

Sara and Callie turned around with grins on their faces as they faced the man that Laurel had been talking to. Sara's smile immediately dropped as a random memory flew past her eyes that she had no recollection of. Callie's smile also dropped slightly as she felt a faint thud in her head as she looked at the rich man.

"Have we met before?" Ray Palmer asked the two girls as they all shared similar looks of bemusement at what they had just experienced.

"I think we'd remember if we had," Sara assured him, Callie nodding slightly as she moved tighter into Sara's side.

"You both just seem very familiar," he finished but Laurel was a little bit weirded out by the interaction that had just taken place between them all.

"Excuse us," She motioned, pulling her sister away from Ray. Callie took his as a que for her to leave, moving over to converse with Moira while they waited on the arrival of Oliver.

"Are you sure you prefer girls?" Laurel joked to ease Sara's sudden tenseness that the man had brought upon her.

Sara's words caught in her throat as she caught sight of Callie in that red dress again, her head tilted back as she laughed at something Moira Queen had said to her.

"Oh believe me, I'm sure."