Author's Note: Arrow has been the new show I've been obsessing over while waiting for Doctor Who to start back up. I've been enjoying it a lot and this idea popped into my mind while I was at work. I was so excited to be able to sit down and write this. Don't worry about my Doctor Who story I've been working on, there should be a new chapter up for that soon. This is AU, even if it loosely follows story line. Tommy lives is best universe. Feel free to leave a review if you have the time!

The Glades just seemed to collapse in onto itself with help of Malcolm's earthquake machine. Oliver had never been more upset then the moment it had gone off; he was a failure. He was supposed to be able to prevent this, but in the end he still wasn't strong enough. After everything he had been through, the training, torture and killing. None of that apparently made any difference; thousands of people will have died tonight because he wasn't smart enough to know there would be a third device; hell there might have been more than that. Oliver wasn't sure what he could trust a belief out of his collective thoughts anymore, instinct in his body just as dead as it had ever been. Like he hadn't learned anything from that damn island in the end.

It took Oliver too long to realize that he had to check in with his team to make sure they were still alive. It was nearly a breath of fresh air to hear Digg say he was unaffected and already digging a scared, yet uninjured Felicity out of the barely wreckage of his club basement. The building had apparently stayed standing unlike most of the Glades, but that was all luck because Felicity probably wouldn't have been alive if it had fall in on itself.

It took him awhile to make his way back up to the street and Oliver had to suck in a breath at the sight of the devastation all around him. Alarms were going off, there was fires blazing, people crying and bleeding in the street. Innocent people whom had probably lost loved ones, but were currently in too much of a panic to even grieve. People were in true panic mode, not even stopping or caring that the man that had been known as the Hood was standing in their presence. Oliver kept expecting one of them to stop and shout that he was supposed to protect them. Now wasn't the time, but his mind flashed back to that faithful boat ride that had resulted in the end of his father's life. That had destroyed his own.

Only his phone ringing shook him out of the unwanted memory. Oliver had a dry mouth, pounding head and upset stomach; the same as he always felt after thinking back about anything that had happened to him. It would have been easy to ignore the phone, but a bad feeling settled into his gut. Malcolm had said his wife called him and he had ignored it. Had turned his phone off even though he knew it was her calling and then was haunted by her messages. One begging for help and the second telling him how much he loved him. The thought of ever ignoring his phone again was hard to swallow.

His caller ID said that it was Tommy and Oliver's stomach nearly dropped out of his body; he hadn't spared a single thought to the man whom had always been his best friend. Who had covered for him when he didn't agree with his life choices and took the emotional beating of realizing that Oliver didn't trust him? He had drove Tommy to Malcolm and the worst thing was to think back about the few times that that man had been home over their entire childhood. The black bruises that Oliver now knew were beaten into his skin, all broken bones mysteriously coinciding with Malcolm being home. Had he just not cared enough to ask or was it respect for either man that he had never asked about it? Was Tommy dying like his mother had, and called Oliver because Oliver was the closest thing to a husband that he had?

The worst thing about this situation was that Oliver's thoughts kept him occupied long enough that the phone stopped ringing, going to his voice-mail. Did he know that his mother had done nearly the same thing or was it just Tommy's instinct to seek Oliver? It didn't really matter in the end; because Tommy needed Oliver the way the Oliver needed someone to care of. It was sad that after he had been home all this time that he was just figuring it out; Oliver needed someone to depend on him. Needed a person to lean on his shoulder and think of him as strong. Not broken, but a protector that could do anything necessary to keep them safe. Suddenly it was more than clear to Oliver, the person he needed all along was Tommy.

Tommy had been all he had ever needed throughout life, and that had never changed. He had needed Tommy to understand that he wasn't a monster, needed him close to him and had even tried to provide for him by giving him a job. That wasn't going to end in the future, in fact Oliver was already making plans that they should be farther than this. No one would ever hurt Tommy ever again, and he would wanted for nothing.

A beep signaled that he had a new message and he nearly checked it, but his phone rang a second time, and Oliver picked up immediately. Tommy's breathe was shaky and Oliver could practically hear the injury in his voice. The important thing was that he was still alive, and god; it was like Oliver had never even heard how beautiful Tommy's voice was before this moment. Or maybe, he had just never let himself hear it.

"Oliver." His name was choked and wet, with tears and hopefully not blood but he had never really been the optimistic type. He needed to get better or this would be it. He couldn't stand the thought that this would be it.

"Where are you?" Oliver growled with more force then he meant to. This was more stressful then he had pictured it being. Tommy didn't even answer right away and Oliver's heart tried beating its way out of his chest. Why didn't he have a tracker on Tommy like he did with Diggle and Felicity? He was just as important, maybe even more so. Priority number one for the rest of Oliver's life from here on out.

"It Hurts." Tommy finally answered with a sob and Oliver gritted his teeth hard. It had been a long time since he had heard Tommy cry and he never wanted it to happen again. He needed to calm down, Tommy was scared and freaking him out would only make him bleed out faster if he was injured badly.

"Tommy, you need to tell me where you are." Oliver tried again, almost desperate. He needed Tommy to tell him, needed to be on his way there. Time was precious and the seconds were ticking away so fast. Tommy just gasped out another sob in response, and Oliver felt himself dying a bit with Tommy. This was not okay, Tommy deserved better than this. They still had a million things to say between them and there was never going to be enough time; it could end now, it hadn't even started yet.

"Baby, tell me where you are. I'll come for you. You can do it baby, I'll take care of you." Words poured out from his mouth from the direct path of his heart and he gave himself the strength to go on when Tommy made a soft choking sound. It must have been the right thing to say though, because Tommy finally started talking.

"I was trying to make it to the club, my father was acting crazy." His voice was quiet now and Tommy had to stop to catch his breath. Oliver was quick to start on his way to the club, it was specific but he would search high and low if he needed to. "Dad hit me again, and I just needed to see you. Please, can I see you? I'm sorry I was mad, please don't be mad."

It was like Tommy didn't even realize what had happened, and maybe the pain was going to his head. This wasn't good, but at least Oliver knew the general location that Tommy was in. "I'm not mad at you baby, I just want to help you. I'll be there soon, just hold on alright?"

Tommy didn't answer after that and Oliver had never run faster in his life. His body was shaking from exhaustion by the time he had found Tommy. He had been so close to being safe in the club, and instead was trapped around a collapsed wall just a few buildings down. If Oliver hadn't drove him to quitting then he could have been safe there.

Pulling him from wreckage was rough, taking him to the club with a limp Tommy dangling in his arms seemed to take an eternity. Hospitals were probably overly crowded if not destroyed and Oliver needed to do this himself for Tommy. His beautiful Tommy, whose black eye wasn't even the fault of the wreckage but his own father. Wonderful Tommy whom had set out to seek protection from him even though they had been fighting.

His arm was broken badly and his stomach took 18 stiches to close up. He had long since passed out, but Oliver stared at the man on his operating table. The danger was passed finally, and Oliver would do a good job in protecting him from now on. Keep him close and loved, like Tommy deserved. That would do wonders for Oliver as well, his sister had asked him to let someone in, and Tommy was it for him. His forever and it had been right in front of his face the entire time.

A plan was quickly formulated, his mother had been arrested, so it would be up to him to take over the CEO position in the company. They could get the club up and running again or if Tommy preferred they could converted it into a shelter until rebuilding began. He would throw money into rebuilding and for those who lost loved ones, it was the least he could do.

The Merlyn Company would be sunk after this and everyone would be selling assets; Tommy would be wise to bail out everything he could and liquidate everything before the bank took everything in his father's name. Tommy had good experience managing and a business degree that Oliver certainly didn't have, not to mention he had slipped into the position of Merlyn's son at the company without any problem after he had quit.

Oliver grinned as he realized that he would need a reliable secretary to take with him to events and keep close to him throughout the day. Someone who could makes sure he signed thing properly and could give a would be much needed opinion. Tommy would be prefect for that when he was recovered. Maybe he could convince Thea to take over head position at the club as well, that would be good for her. He was sure she could do it with the help of that Roy of hers.

And just like that, everything was decided; time to stop fighting and start providing for his city.