A/N: This is my first fanfic ever, so I'm very nervous about posting it. Please be honest in your reviews and any suggestions and/or advice that you may have is greatly appreciated! I know it's fairly short compared to most fanfics, but I decided to post it anyways. Also, I'm not sure whether I should leave this as a oneshot or pursue writing more chapters, so let me know what you think!

"Laurel."

At the sound of her name coming from his lips, Laurel instantly closed her eyes and was taken back to the first time she'd seen him since he had gotten back from the island at CNRI. If only things were as simple and innocent as they were the… Now, returning back to the present, her back was facing him, for she was too afraid to turn around and look into his piercing blue eyes – he could always read her like a book with one simple glance. Always.

"Oliver…" she sighed.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his strong arms around her petite frame. Laurel, still refusing to turn and face him, visibly relaxed, but Oliver knew she was seconds away from breaking down.

"I'm here for you, Laur. You know that, right?" he whispered into her ear, "Always and for-"

She abruptly released herself from his embrace and quickly turned to face him, chaos evident in her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Damn it, Ollie. Just stop. Here we are, standing at Tommy's AND my father's graves. I haven't heard from Sara in weeks… months, actually. My life is honestly a mess. I don't know where else to turn or what else to do. As much as I do appreciate you being here right now, I can't have you saying things like that to me. Things that take me back to when life was easy and all of those that I love were still in it. As great as those times were, they are over, and they're never coming back. My life is as far from simple as one can get. I've tried my best to turn my life around – I stopped the drinking and I got my job back. And this is how I get repaid?! It just isn't fair."

Tears were now falling freely from Laurel's eyes, and, to Oliver, she still looked as beautiful as ever. His heart broke for her. She was the strongest person he knew but he knew that even the strongest fell down sometimes. He was determined to be the one to build her back up. She may not have been physically present at Lian Yu, however, emotionally, she had basically gone through just as much. From Oliver miraculously showing up after five years (and his obvious cheating escapade with Sara), her fling with Tommy and then his untimely death, running to alcohol and drugs to try to cope with her mixed emotions, the reappearance and once again departure of her sister, and now the death of her father, Laurel truly had gone through Hell; Oliver Queen was determined to bring her out of it. Why? Because that's what you do for the one you love – you support them throughout their good times as well as their bad times.

"It's okay, Laurel… It may not feel like it now, but I promise you, it will all be okay. And I'll be here for you every step of the way."

He then stepped towards her and pulled her into another embrace. As she openly cried into his shoulder, Oliver couldn't help but to think about how perfectly Laurel fit into his arms. No matter how long it would take, Oliver was determined to get the old Laurel – his Laurel – back into his arms once again.