Connor and Roy were sitting in the kitchen drinking cold lemonade from a pitcher which, had been left for them in the fridge by Mia before she'd left for Titan's Tower that morning. The week previous Mia had experienced a 'domestic urge' as she called it, and spent the week in the kitchen with every cookbook she could lay her hands on . Now the cupboards, fridge and freezer were full with Mia's concoctions which mostly looked edible, admittedly the garbage was just as full, but that wasn't something the boy's were going to bring up either fact.

Roy and Lian had come to Star City for a visit at the start of summer vacation. Lian loved the attention she was receiving, especially from her dotting 'grandfather'. Ollie had been monopolising Lian, making up for lost time, like today he had taken her to the zoo and for ice cream after, leaving Roy at a loose end. Roy and Connor had ended up spending a lot of time together during the two weeks they had already spent in the current Queen household. They had just returned from a run, the hot Californian sun having caused both of them to sweat profusely, making their t-shirts cling to them as they gulped down the lemonade.

Roy was pouring out another glass for them both when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it."

Connor said as he got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. Roy leaned back in his chair and waited for Connor to return. When he did he had a slightly worried look on his face. It was probably justified considering he had never been entirely comfortable with attractive women up close and personal and the hot blonde at his side might as well have been sharing his shorts.

"Roy, this is Crackshot."

"How many times do I have to tell you, to those I'm close to Connor, it's Melanie."

She purred as she put her arm around Connor's shoulders.

"I didn't realise we were that close Melanie."

Connor slipped out from under her hold making his way around the kitchen, putting the table between himself and her. Melanie rolled her eyes at him before sticking her hand out towards him Roy. Leaning over to do so, she ended up showing off quite a eyeful which, Roy wasn't too much of a gentlemen to ignore, and by the way she grinned at him when he met her eyes, she didn't mind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Roy."

She said still grinning.

"Oh the pleasure's all mine I'm sure."

Roy said grinning back as he shook her hand . Holding on a tad longer then was totally necessary. Connor groaned internally wondering what he had let himself in for by inviting Melanie into the same house as Roy and what he had done to deserve this. He doubted he would leave this encounter with any dignity intact.

Melanie let go of Roy's hand and turned towards Connor, leaning her hip against the table and resting her hand on the other hip. She winked at Connor as she said in a accusatory tone .

"So are you shacking up with Roy Boy here? Is that why you're all sweaty? Did I interrupt something? I hope this hasn't been another wasted trip like Bowhunk."

Roy raised his eyebrow at this and mouthed 'bowhunk?' at Connor behind Melanie's back with a smirk. Connor glared slightly at Roy before turning to face Melanie square on across the edge of the table.

"No. I'm not gay. Why doesn't anyone believe me. I like women. Just because I don't fling myself at everything with breasts, that doesn't mean I'm gay ok."

"Sure, then why did you turn me down when you, me and Ringboy saved the world, or when I was staying in San Fran. "

Turning to Roy she explained,

"I mean I was walking around naked. How could he not take that bait unless he was gay?"

Connor just sighed in defeat. Gesturing at one of the kitchen chairs he said to Melanie.

"I'm going to wash up, I'm still all sweaty from the run Roy and I had just got back from when you turned up, not from any other event your mind invented. Sit down and have a glass of lemonade, I shouldn't be long, then you can tell us why you're here."

"Oh there's no need to wash on my account. I like my men hot and sweaty. Admittedly I prefer putting them in that state, but you'll do."

Connor gave another long suffering sigh before turning and walking out the kitchen door, calling over his shoulder as he went.

"Just behave you two, please."

He could hear the indignant call of "Hey, why did I get included in that!" from Roy mingled with Melanie's "Can't guarantee anything!" which, mixed with their laughter, accompanied Connor up the stairs.

In the kitchen they sat staring at each other until Roy broke the silence.

"So you're the Melanie from Connor's little adventure in Desolation with GL."

"Yep that's me... How many Melanies with a fondness for guns does he know then, that you have to clarify?"

Roy just shrugged his shoulders.

"I was sent to kill him, but he was just too cute. Couldn't let all that go to waste now could I? So I kissed him instead."

"So Connor was interested then?"

"Yeah, but then we got interrupted by some assholes who were trying to kill us. Then in the air duct when I tried to pick up where we had left off, he started spewing some bull about inheriting a women attracting gene from his father and him being the love'em and leave'em type, bull like that. I was quite distraught actually."

"That was his reason for turning you down?"

"Yep. Well that and the fact that we were surrounded by near certain death, but that makes it much more exciting, doesn't it! He also said how he wanted to be the hero his father was, but not the man."

Roy shook his head. Getting up and heading over to the counter where a batch of Mia's cookies were on a plate (probably the most edible of every thing she'd cooked). With the plate in hand he said.

"That's maybe a little harsh, Ollie's not a bad man. He's just made some bad choices, followed the brain in his pants, rather then the one in his head, but then who hasn't?"

Roy looked a little haunted but his comment as he place the plate on the table after offering her a cookie and sitting back down, and Melanie not a completely insensitive and upfront jerk as Connor seemed to believed and didn't push it. She knew when something didn't involve her, nor did it need to. Leaning back in her chair so she was only balancing the chair on the rear legs and her foot on the table edge.

"So how do you know Connor then? I've ruled out boyfriend, admittedly to some disappointment, I wouldn't have minded watching, or joining in either."

"Well I promise that if anything like that ever develops I'll drop you a line so can come watch. It may take some time to wear Connor down about you joining in though but I'll see what I can do."

Roy was totally deadpan when he said this, the twinkle in his eyes however betrayed his amusement. Melanie, pointing her finger at him said mock sternly.

"You better do, because if I found out you didn't I would have to hunt you down and then I would be faced with the same dilemma I faced with Connor, whether to kill you or kiss you"

She lent over with one arm on the table and the other propped under her chin. Roy mirrored her posture as he replied.

"Well I hope it wouldn't be to hard a decision to make."

Leaning back into his chair and raising his feet to prop on the table and went back to the original track of conversation before the thoughts of threesomes had distracted them.

"You asked how I knew Connor?"

Melanie nodded her head.

"Well I was Ollie, Connor's dad's, ward way back when."

"Yeah sidekick as well. Really what was with Speedy? Couldn't you think of a better name?

"Hey! Don't diss the name. I was young, and anyway Ollie gave it to me."

Melanie gave a very unladylike snort as if to say, whatever you say, before asking.

"So you and Connor are kinda brothers then?"

"In some ways, I suppose so, yeah."

"Well that adds a whole new incestuous angle to our threesome plans."

Roy laughed at that and Melanie grinned in response. Roy realised that most of his future conversations with Melanie would probably end up going down this path. This was what happened when two natural born flirts were put together. Connor wasn't going to survive the afternoon.

"So you are just up on a family visit then?"

Melanie asked and Roy nodded his head.

"Yeah, my daughter Lian wanted to see everybody here for her summer vacation, and what she wants she seems to get "

Roy said with an affectionate eye roll. Melanie looked a little surprised.

"A daughter? Really? How old is she?"

"She's nearly 5. You looked a little surprised."

"Yeah well I wasn't expecting it. So you have a girlfriend, wife or are you divorced or something."

She said as she nibbled on a cookie she had just liberated from the plate.

"No, nothing that easy. My relationship with Lian's mother isn't exactly what you'd call normal."

Roy said the last with some strain visible. Melanie marked it as another potential subject to avoid.

"From the sound of it I don't think I want to know! So will I get to meet Lian or Ollie anytime soon? I assume this is his house? I better do if I want to stay the night."

"Yeah. Ollie took Lian out to the zoo, so they should be back by this evening, But I'm sure we'll find something to occupy us this afternoon until they come back."

"Well I'm voting for our threesome plan but if you can think of anything better..."

While she was saying this, Connor's presence in the hallway became apparent to them both. They both turned their heads to the door way as Connor came in all freshly scrubbed, his hair still wet from the shower.

"So what have you guys been talking about?"

Connor asked slightly worried. Melanie turned to grin at Roy, and then turned back to face Connor innocence plastered all over her face.

"Oh there was nothing to worry about Connor."

Roy tried to sound reassuring, but the dirty smile which currently inhabited his face made Connor worry more. Roy swung his feet off the table, which earned him a pointed look from Connor, and heaved himself out of this chair and walked towards the door.

"I think I'll go have a shower now."

With that he patted Connor on the shoulder and walked past him into the hall and started to whistle a jaunty tune.

Melanie got out of her chair, where she still sat watching the interaction, and slinked over to Connor, putting her arms around his waist. "There was nothing to worry about. Really. We were just talking about your dad and how when I meet him I'm going to have to hit him, for you not sleeping with me which I have decided to blame entirely on him, and then I suppose I'll see if he's up for a tumble in the sack, which from the sound of it he probably will be."

Melanie said the last with a contemplative tilt of her head. Connor's head turned towards her so face her so fast, she was surprised he didn't get whiplash.

"Hmmm, I think I'll go wash up now as well. I'll see if Roy wants to share, that'll save water, you're all for those sort of things aren't you Bowhunk?"

With that she kissed his cheek and pinched his arse, before sliding past him into the hall way whistling the same tune as Roy had, leaving a shocked and slightly horrified Connor in her wake.

Connor made his way to one of the recently vacated kitchen chairs, collapsing into it and calling on every single type of training he knew to block the mental images which had sprung up with Melanie's comments. He thought he had succeeded when he heard a rather girlish shriek which came from the bathroom upstairs, where Melanie had obviously just surprised Roy in the shower.

He shook his head with a smile and thought with grudging acceptance,

'At least the afternoon won't be boring. I doubt I'll survive, but it won't be dull.'

He started to reached for a cookie from the plate on the table, when the bathroom door slammed open upstairs and he heard Melanie shout down to him.

"Hey Connor! Remind me to tell you about our threesome plan when Roy and I are finished up here"

With the sound of Melanie's laugher wafting down the stairs, Connor let his head drop to the table.

'Definitely not a boring afternoon '

End