Authors note: So I actually had this idea before finding out that the next episode is sort of "The Christmas Carol" theme too- weeks ago really, but I'm just now posting it. I gotta say this was fun to write and has been bouncing inside my head long enough, so I figured I'd share this with you guys now- especially since Christmas is just around the corner. Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or it's characters- just like playing in the proverbial sandbox for a while.


Chapter 1

"Oliver!...What do we… foundry?..."

Oliver couldn't make sense of what was being said. He thought the voice sounded familiar though, a feminine worried voice. He didn't know why she would be worried though, he felt oddly at peace. He could vaguely feel something sticking out of his back, maybe more than one something, but he couldn't tell what it was.

The last thing he remembered was… Felicity! Yes, that's who it had to of been speaking to him. Felicity was speaking to him through his ear from the foundry guiding him while he patrolled the Glades. He was… chasing something or someone and then… and then… He couldn't remember. Why couldn't he remember? If he couldn't remember what he needed to, then he couldn't warn them. 'But what was I supposed to remember'

If anything was making sense to him at all, it was the fact that he couldn't move or at least his arms and legs weren't responding they way they should have. With startling clarity he realized that he was losing a lot of blood and dots were starting to cloud his vision. He was losing consciousness and fast.

The only thing that he could get to come out his mouth before he drifted off was-

"He's alive!"….


Oliver gasped wide awake at his desk and knew in a few moments something was wrong… very wrong. He was in… his office.

If he didn't know any better, he could just tell himself that he fell asleep while trying to make sense of the paperwork. It had happened before, much to his dismay because Felicity slapped him awake and chided him that he didn't want Isabel to find him asleep in his office with his assistant. Of course then she rambled on to say that wasn't what she had meant by sleeping with his assistant. He'd never tell her that her rambles were usually his bright spot of the day- though he did suspect that she already knew that. She always knew what he was trying to say or not say even if she herself couldn't formulate words correctly when she spoke.

'Speaking of Felicity, where is she?'

He looked around his office and through the glass walls that separated his office from hers, but couldn't spot her anywhere. He thought maybe perhaps what happened earlier in the alleyway was a dream or a nightmare.

"It wasn't a dream."

Oliver turned his head to the person who spoke.

"Thea? What are doing you doing here?" he asked.

"I dunno? What am I doing here? You tell me." she said tilting her head.

"Thea I don't have time for games! What is going on? Where is Felicity?" he asked her getting agitated when she gave him a cryptic response.

"You see, you're not asking the right questions Oliver…sigh… But you are right about one thing though." Thea said while looking at a green crystal paperweight that was on his desk. She toyed with it in her hands for a few moments. Oliver remembered that was the gift he got from Felicity when he first started his role as CEO. The paperweight had an arrow on the side wrapping itself around the circular object. Thea placed it back on his desk in the same spot she had picked it up from, as if she had even never touched it.

"Ahem, Oliver? Don't you want to know what you're right about?" She asked him getting his attention. When he didn't respond, she gave him one of her patented eye roles and continued while coming around his desk. Thea stood in front of him.

"Time! You really don't have time to play games."

For some reason that he couldn't remember, her words caused a chill to go down his spine. He swallowed.

"Why don't I have time Thea?" He whispered.

"Look around you Ollie?! Does anything seem out of place? And before you start- more out of place than Felicity not sitting at her desk."

Now that Oliver thought about it, the walls were in odd positions and the door that led to the conference room from his office was gone. The color scheme seemed off, what was usually a warm atmosphere, suddenly seemed colder. Part of him thought that was probably due to the fact that his assistant wasn't sitting at her post. He could've also sworn that when he woke up it was sunny, he got up from his chair and looked out the floor to ceiling windows- the city was bathed in darkness with light only coming from the moon. A full moon, which if Felicity was here she would of told him that it added to the creepiness and sinister factor. The city seemed dark, sounds of ambulances and fire trucks could be heard along with gun shots and explosions.

Oliver didn't know what was going on, but he thought 'Thea was right- things were definitely out of place.'

"Is this real?" He wondered aloud.

"Now we're getting somewhere" she said relieved.

"What is going on?" He said as he turned to face her.

"If you had to guess, what do you think is going on Ollie?" She asked expectantly.

"You said earlier, that it wasn't a dream. Is this the dream?" Oliver asked.

"Bingo! You've finally asked the right question. And for your information… Yes, this is a dream"

"If this is a dream then, what's happening while I'm…asleep?" He questioned.

"Don't you worry your green little hooded head over that just yet Ollie, all in good time." Thea patronized.

"If this is a dream then- you're not really here. What are you?" He walked towards her, observing her. She rolled her eyes again at his question.

"Your subconscious, duh!"

"Why-" He started, but was cut off.

"Why me right? *snort* I ask myself that question every day, well I mean I guess you think Thea does or you ask yourself why you or… or I- I don't know! Stop confusing me and yourself." Thea or not Thea complained and carried on.

"If I had to guess why I'm Thea… maybe, I don't know- you feel guilty or something. I mean come on?! for guy who spends his every night under my club I don't see you very often. What's the deal with that?" she looked at him squinting her eyes trying to gage his answer. Before he could respond, Not Thea as he decided to call her- sighed and started speaking again.

"It doesn't matter, we're not here to talk about Thea just yet. We have a few pressing matters to discuss first and quite a few things that I need to show you. So let's get this show on the road." Not Thea said as she made that clicked sound at the back of her throat and snapped her fingers.

'Very unlike Thea' he thought.

"But if you said I didn't have time, then why are you showing me things? I have to wake up, find Felicity and Diggle. Warn them. I have to-" Not Thea cut him off.

"You can't do anything about that right now. It's okay, I'm sure Diggle and Felicity got to you by now and are heading to the foundry to fix you up as you speak to your subconscious who is dressed up as your sister… Yep, that didn't sound weird at all… So… In the mean time I gotta question to ask you?" she asked looking at him expectantly.

"Which is?" He asked even though he was slightly disturbed with idea of her asking him a question.

"Have you ever seen The Christmas Carol? Why should I've even asked, of course you have. I would know because I'm you silly!" she laughed.

Oliver didn't know quite what say, he was relieved that she hadn't asked him anything deeper because he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge a few things. Things- if he was being honest with himself was putting off due to not being ready to come to grips with yet. But with her question, he had a bit of an idea where she was going to take this. As if she could his read his mind, which he guessed she could since he was really just talking to himself.

"And you would've guessed right and I'm so glad you see where I'm headed with this because now after this long, arduous introduction- sigh…It's time to take the tour! And like dad always said no time like the present!"


Authors note: Any mistakes I make are mine and mine alone. Feel free to leave a review, as cliche as it is- they really do fuel me, especially since finals are right now. I should really be studying, but I wanted to post this before the mid season finale this Wednesday. More to come, so stick around please...