"My cchhhhhhiiiiiillllllddddd. Come baaacccckk! Come back to me, mmyyy cchhhhhhiiiiiiillllllddddd" Hela hissed impatiently. The world around her faded in and out of shadow. All that could be seen now was Hela's blackened mouth and porcelain white teeth. She cackled and screamed as her helpless victim lied beneath her.
Laurel woke up feeling pressure on her chest. "Laurel. Laurel! Are you okay?" William nearly screamed as his stepmother squirmed, screamed, and coughed on her mattress. William pulled Laurel to her knees and rested her head on his shoulder. "Another nightmare?" William asked, concerned.
"No, no, no, no William. I am the step-mother and you are step-son. I worry about and do my best to protect you, not the other way around" Laurel reminded William and William laughed.
"You know how much I worry about you? Especially with dad on the field all night, and with you carrying my little brother..."
"William-" Oliver stood in the doorway of the master bedroom. He wore a black tank top and dark blue male capris. His arms were crossed and his facial expression was soft.
"Sorry dad, I think Laurel was having another bad dream," William said meekly to his father.
"It's okay" Oliver hugged his son and kissed the top of his head. "Get some sleep, okay? You've got school in the morning and Laurel and I are going to drop you off and go get an update on your baby brother".
"Okay, goodnight dad! Good night Laurel!" William said and hugged Laurel.
"Goodnight William! ...William... I love you" Laurel said and William smiled and walked back to his bedroom.
"Love you" Oliver called after him. He stripped off his pants and his tank top and climbed into bed next to his wife and kissed her forehead.
"How were things tonight, Mr. Green?" Laurel asked, playfully grinning at Oliver.
"Team Arrow saw its golden era when you and Roy were on the field with us. Unfortunately, we can't trust Dinah, Rene, or Curtis right now, especially Rene" Oliver replied, sadly smiling at his wife.
"I am back out there with you 100 percent after maternity leave, Ollie. And Roy, you know Roy would be too. And I know you miss Roy and Thea, I do too. We'll see them, we'll make plans". She ran her nails through Oliver's hair and drew him close. Oliver placed a hand on Laurel's stomach.
"My god, I can't wait till he starts to move," Oliver said stroking the new life inside of Laurel.
"I am excited" she agreed. "But I'm slightly scared"
Oliver smiled "You don't have to worry, Laurel. After everything you have gone through on your own, you're more than adequate to handle this pregnancy and take on motherhood. And you're not going at it alone. I'm here, with you, Dinah Laurel Lance, the love of m-" The sound of Oliver's voice dissolved on the impact of Laurel's lips hitting his own. They were sweet and salty. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, wanting to be as close to her as he could get. As the kiss finally broke, Laurel lingered, lightly biting Oliver's bottom lip.
"Ollie, we should get some sleep. But about Dinah, Curtis, and Rene, don't worry if they don't believe in you. I believe in you. Jonh and Felicity believe in you. Ollie, remember this, a tiger doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of a sheep" Laurel reminded him.
"I love you so much" Oliver replied.
"I love you too," Laurel said. She kissed Oliver's nose and they said goodnight. Laurel closed her eyes. She willed herself to think of anything but her time in Purgatory. Her mind went from Ollie and the little family they were building together... to rejoining up with Team Arrow as The Black Canary... but then she thought of death and thought of how it smelled hauled up her Purgatory cell. She could see in her the sinisterly cold faces of Damien Darhk and Hela. She shivered and moved closer to Oliver. "He must be so tired. Not just being The Green Arrow, but also the mayor- with everything that Cayden James is putting Star City through. I should be out there with the team" she thought and she almost felt guilty but then she remembered that Ollie was more than a night-time activity associate now, he was her husband and the father of her step-son and unborn child. Her family would always come before the Black Canary mantle. Laurel's eyes were heavy and she fell into sleep gradually. The nightmares also came gradually.
Damien Darhk was plotting his next move alongside his accomplice, his adult daughter, Nora Dahrk when suddenly Nora's eyes turned dark red and the veins in her face became dark and visible. "Damien Darhk" boomed Nora in an altered voice.
"Mallus" Damien addressed.
"No, you are talking to no time-demon" Nora scoffed. "I am your goddess, Hela, eldest child of Odin".
Damien dropped to one knee, placed his hand over his heart, and made eye contact with his daughter's feet. "To what I owe this honorable visit, my goddess Hela?" Damien asked genuinely.
"I am concerned," Nora said.
"Why? Might I ask, is there something I must do for you, my goddess?" Damien replied with concern growing on his face.
"Your track record is no longer intact, Damien" Nora loudly explained and Damien's blood ran cold.
"Who? Who escaped their death sentence?" Damien pressed. He never forgot a single one of his victim's names.
"Laurel Lance" uttered Nora, grotesquely
"No! I made a promise on her head. Quentin Lance turned against me and I promised him he would lower his eldest daughter into the ground" Damian yelled, devastated.
"You made good on your promise, Damien" Hela cooed. "I fed on Ms. Lance's lost soul for the better part of two years on my terrain. But The Green Arrow, The Flash, your arch nemesis The White Canary and others stormed my earth and cast me into the phantom zone. They took that bleeding bitch back to the world of the living and restored her. She is married to Oliver Queen and playing the step-mommy game with his boy. She has a new life growing inside her. You want revenge on Mr. Queen? Restore your record, kill Mrs. Queen and the unborn Queen child".
"My goddess, nothing would make me happier than that. But- what about Mallus?"
Nora threw her head back and cackled "I will keep Mallus occupied and you return my favorite meal to me. And this time, I get dessert". Damien joined in Hela's deranged laughter.