Home. Heart. Hero.

Home is Where the Heart is

"Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is."

-Charles M. Schulz

Home is where the heart is. Home is where everything just makes perfect sense. That's what everyone says, what the hallmark movies were all about and what those stupid holiday cards would say. Katie had been home a full month and found herself navigating through her house like a stranger. She could hardly find things, and then there was the fact that it was always so quiet. She'd spent the last four years engulfed in noise, and now all the silence was getting plain torturous. There was one mile stone and that was that after a couple of weeks, she began sleeping in her room again. It started feeling less and less like a stranger's room and more like hers. She did do a little redecorating. She removed some of the childish toys and stuffed animals and made it look like an adult actually slept in it. When she was done, she stood off to the side and just studied it. This to her was the start to her new life.

The door bell rang and she unintentionally smiled. She wiped the smile off of her face instantly and mentally reprimanded herself for the feeling she got at the sound. She knew who was at the door. He was practically her only visitor. Well except for Thea who stopped by when she could, when she wasn't busy with her community service at the legal aid building with Laurel.

Katie had to force herself not to rush to the door. This was the only downside to being back. It was that the old Katie's feeling for a certain man seemed to become evident with every passing day. She didn't expect the frequent visits, especially with the opening of his new business venture coming. She still found it hilarious that he was deciding on running a business. Sure it was going to be a nightclub, and sure it would probably be filled with women and alcohol, but if she learned anything from her father it was that a business was a business and it needed the love and care you would give to a child. The bell had rang for a third time, but Katie was already standing in front of the door. She took a sick pleasure out of making him wait for her for once. Taking a deep breath, Katie brought an annoyed expression to her face before pulling open the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you to ask whose at the door before you open it?" Oliver asked as he walked inside without an invitation. "I could've been anyone." he went about his routine as he walked in, letting his eyes look over the place for any anomaly.

"You could've, but I don't think a murderer would ring the bell first. Plus there's the cameras that are running out there, and the sensor in the fence that lets me know whenever it opens"

"I could jump over that fence and evade any cameras out there." Oliver countered as he walked into the kitchen. "Just ask whose there next time Twinkie." She could keep arguing with him, telling him there were sensors above the fence as well and that there are cameras focused on every inch of this house, but she decides to just let it go. She was growing after all.

"Whatever Oliver. Why are you here?" Katie asked walking around him to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"I talked to Tommy and he said he invited you to the club opening." Oliver said and Katie couldn't help but smile.

"That's not all he offered. There is suppose to be a car to pick me up, a VIP pass waiting for me at the door and all my drinks would be comped."

"And you said no, right?" Oliver asked and Katie turned to him with a look of confusion. "C'mon, don't look at me like that. I'm only thinking about you."

"Sure you are Oliver." she spat dropping her mug on the counter and stalking past him. "You know what, maybe things aren't as different as I thought they were." she headed up the stairs, and he followed behind her.