( is it weird that he’s ( in a sense ) proud of mia for being able to hold her own with her back against the wall? it’s not a life that he wanted for her but then, he hadn’t wanted laurel or thea getting involved either. at the end of the day, it wasn’t up to oliver, no matter how much that got under his skin. william and thea put miles between them after he’d involved them in his crusade, and mia hasn’t run for the hills yet. )

Make it look good. ( he taps the side of his jaw with two fingers, a mirror to some minor swelling that’ll be a bruise later on her skin. ) Like that, you mean.

( bizarre as it is, he smiles fondly and shakes his head lightly. )

Been there, done that. I've put enough people in hospital beds. Cage matches are behind me with the Bratva. ( with people like adrian chase and ricardo diaz, people that showed him ugliness begot ugliness. ) Before your mother found out she was pregnant with you, I made a choice to do things differently. Operate in the light of day, take off the mask, to right my wrongs. Not that I had being a courier in mind at the time. ( he wrinkles his nose and cradles his glass, not quite ready to drink but the impulse is there. ) It's a start. It gets me through doors without turning heads, and I get to do it almost entirely on my own scheduling.

( a beat, then: ) Just promise me if you ever get in over your head, you'll call.