Thea Gets

a Hard Dose

of Reality

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the general idea you see within this one shot. This is always something I wouldn't have minded seeing Oliver do after Thea's rather bratty attitude towards him in Honor Thy Father before she goes out. Cause seriously the girl neeeded a good dose of reality slapped into her. So fair warning, this will be likely out of character for Oliver.

As Oliver watched his sister walk off and leaving him with the sting of her words about how he'd been acting since he got back. He couldn't help but feel pretty damn annoyed now with his sister. As it seemed to him she wasn't quite getting a clear picture on things when it came to him. Cause hello! He's only been back briefly, and what? She expects him to acclimate at a speed for her liking? He so doesn't think so! Reaching a quick decision that he likely knew would cause tears, mostly her's rather then his. He went after her and grabbed her arm, making for an already unhappy sister being even more so.

"Let go of me!" She yelled out angrily.

"Not until you shut up for a minute and LISTEN to me for once." He coldly told her.

His response made her look back at him in shock as she'd never had heard him speak like that to her. The look his eyes actually scared her a bit too. "Like you said Thea, I've been back a WEEK. What the hell could you possibly expect from me in that short amount of time? Even you should realize that its going to take awhile to re-adjust. Granted, all the drugs and boozing you've likely done has probably made you a bit on the slow side."

The implication of what her brother just said made her even more angrier then what she'd been and caused her to reach out to slap him. Only for him to catch her hand before it could even reach its mark, much to her shock. "Yeah, I don't think so Speedy. Just to clarify things a bit so that even you could understand and maybe, just maybe quit being such a brat in the claim I didn't want my family when I was 'dead', yet you know NOTHING. I mean NOTHING of my experiences when I was gone. I wanted to be back home safe and sound with all of you more than any damn thing else. I did what it TOOK TO SURVIVE 5 YEARS OF ABSOLUTE HELL! And yet now that I'm back, everyone's trying to act like nothing happened. When you all SHOULD be doing the OPPOSITE as it does NOTHING TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY." Here, he paused a moment to take a breath before going on.

"I avoid mom because she is trying to act like nothing happened instead of taking things head on where I'm concerned. I ignore Walter because I don't know him. To me, he's a stranger in this household plain and simple. So to expect me to just automatically accept him right off the bat is stupid. And I judge you because I DON'T WANT YOU BEING LIKE I WAS!"

Thea's eyes had widened considerably with quite a few tears to be seen as well by the end of his explanation, though she wasn't quite ready to admit how she had been towards him due to that damned Queen stubborn streak they all had. Unfortunately for the both of them, they had drawn an audience of nosy types who were trying their best not to barge in and stop what was going on. Only Walter's intervention kept it from happening.

"I don't want you being like I was, because that version of me back then was going no where. Not to mention I was an unfaithful jerk. Which is hardly role model material for that matter. So yes, I judge you. You don't like it? Too bad, you're just gonna have to deal with it Thea. As I did NOT go through all that I did just to come home and see you throw your life away. I'll be damned to Hell again before I see you waste away from partying, drugs, and booze just cause our mother refuses to do as she should where you are concerned."

"But..." She tried to say but couldn't really get any more out as she was simply too shocked by all that he'd said.

Oliver decided to go for one last try in order to reach his sister fully. As one way or another, even if it brought on some more horrible nightmares for him when he tried to sleep he would do it. Letting go of her arm, he quickly took off his shirt and the sight of what Thea saw caused her eyes to widen even more and shed more tears. Walter had to stifle a gasp at the sight of the young man's back while keeping a firm hand on both Raisa and Moira's shoulders as a reminder to not do anything that would alert them. As even he could see where young Thea was heading and had long felt powerless to do anything about it since Moira pretty much let the girl run about as she pleased. Even when he brought the matter to her attention it never seemed to do much good.

"I have no idea if you've even heard of the scars on me, but I can damn well assure you that I didn't get these from self harm or fights with animals. I know I lied about being on that island alone, but I had no desire to dredge up more than what I had too. Yet here we are anyway because of your own damned stupidity. Each of these scars and burns are from torture, fights with others, and in one case a mis-understanding. This bullet wound on my side? I was FORCED to remove it myself and sew it up after all as some cruel test to see if I had the means to survive. These symbols on my side? Are in memory of a young boy who lost his life because of one woman's cruelty."

His eyes hadn't left hers as he spoke and then he turned around to show more of the horrors he'd endured. Something Thea wished he would stop doing now as she wasn't sure how much more she could take of this. "The dragon tattoo you see? It was FORCED on me by a man I once considered a brother as a reminder of the loss of a woman he was in love with."

He turned back to face his sister once more. "So go on then Thea, go on and walk out that door and mess up your life just a bit more. I won't stop you, and neither will anyone else." Thea was truly crying then as she had pretty much broken down. A huge part of her was horrirfied at how she'd manage to push her brother so far. And doing the only thing that seemed sensible, she walked towards him and hugged him. Never wanting to let go for as long as possible, not realizing that her own brother was crying now.

Author's Notes: Probably one of the more gut punch to the feelings moments I've ever done here. Again, I know this is a bit out of character for him but I feel this is something he could have and should have done. Maybe not have gone this far, but something. Look forward to your thoughts!