Nightmare. Such a horrible word in her mind. Such a horrible thing for anyone to have to live through. She was no exception.
For five years. For five long years she had been living in one. Living inside of her own nightmare just waiting for it to end.
Just waiting for some light to shed upon the darkness vanquishing it once and for all. This nightmare that all started on that fateful day.
The day she had watched him sail out to sea with his father. The love of her life. Her boyfriend. Her soulmate.
This soulmate that she would not see for five long years. Five long years that she swore she could hear his voice calling out to her.
Hear his voice begging and pleading for help. Such events that would often bring her to tears at some of the most unforseen moments.
Tears that would freefall from her face once news had made its way into the firm she worked at. News that had made her bolt out from her seat and race towards the hospital as fast as she could.
News that he had returned. Her soulmate had been found. Had been found alive by some local fisherman in the North China Sea.
This news that had just made her rush through the hospital daring anyone to get in her way. Daring anyone to stop her.
Resistance that would not be met by any doctors as she would burst into the room that she was being kept in and launch into his arms not even bothering to hold back the tears of joy.
These tears of joy that would often fall down from her face with every passing day she has spent with him.
Every passing day she would be there by his side looking down towards him. Just like she was doing now.
Looking down towards his face finding him in a deep slumber with his arms wrapped around her protectively.
Wrapped around her in a tight grip like he never wanted to ever let her go. The truth be told she didn't want him too either.
Never wanted him to ever let go. She wouldn't. She would never let him go. Not now and not ever. Just like how she wouldn't let him go now.
Wouldn't let go of her hold around him after his latest episode. His latest nightmare that had snapped her wide awake and made her do something she has grown accustomed to.
Calming him down. Calming him down soothing him with the simplest of touches. This effect that would always slow down her breathing and make her watch him drift off into a peaceful sleep.
This peaceful scene that she would always watch for a few hours before drifting back off into her own. Drifting back off into her own dream world that has been plagued with nothing but nightmares for so long.
Nothing but dreams of boats sinking. Nothing but dreams of her soul mate sinking further and further into the abyss.
Sometimes she would be there trying to get to him. Other times she would watch as though it was a scene from a movie.
But one thing always remained the same. The state that she would be in when she found herself waking up from these dreams.
Her long brunette hair covered in sweat. Her nude body dosed with nothing but sweat as though she had run a marathon.
Such a state that would often lead her to watch the sun rise up from the horizon fearing of what she would dream next.
Fearing what terrible thoughts and images her mind would come up with next. But now? Now it wasn't boats sinking that was plaguing her dreams.
No it was something else entirely. Something more sinister. Something more evil. Dreams that have started ever since she had been given a small black book.
A journal. A private journal from the late Robert Queen. This journal that held so many secrets. So many secrets that would rock the city like a hurricane.
Secrets that had revealed who the true criminals of the city are. Revealed who the real enemies of the city truly are.
These revelations that had shocked her to her very core. Shocked her so much to do the one thing she has always done for most of her young life.
To stand up and fight for what she believes in. To stand up against these criminals that dare try to harm the city.
Harm her city. The city that she loves. The city that she has grown up in. To harm the man that she loves.
The man that she is proud to call her husband now as she watches his sleeping face from the inside of their new living quarters.
A safehouse. Not what anyone would have in mind. A safehouse for one of the star witnesses for what was considered to be the most historical case in Starling City's history.
A case of the city versus many. Versus many of the so called big time players in the city. A case where the city was taking no chances.
No chances of their witnesses not being able to show up to court. An needed caution for some of the more unforseen moments in the city's history.
And for that she would be thankful. Thankful for this safehouse. Thankful for the men and women standing on guard just outside of the room.
This safehouse located deep within The Glades. A place that nobody would expect to find them. A place that they have called their home for the past three months.
Three long months with so many unforeseen events occuring. But yet not surprising to her. She is a lawyer after all.
A lawyer that knew all of the tricks of the trade. Knew how the law system worked. Knew of the ways the lawyers of the defendants would try to have the case be pushed back in an attempt to gain more time for a eventual dismissal.
Oh how she has hated this way of thinking. Hated this loophole but she would be patient. She would be patient watching out over him.
Watching out for her husband. The leading witness to this case. Such a unique case. A case that has plagued former friends against each other.
Plagued unbreakable bond of family members to be shattered. But it had to be done. It had to be done for the sake of justice.
For the sake of the city. For the sake of them. Their ever growing relationship that just keeps getting stronger by the day.
Keeps getting so strong that they could consider it to be unbreakable in every aseptic. Such a strong bond.
So strong she felt they could face anything this world could throw at them. Face the darkness of the city.
Face their fears. Face their worst fears of rejection. Fears of being cheated on by their loved ones.
Face their nightmares together. Nightmares that she knew would end one day. The day when all of this was over.
The day these criminals were behind bars. The day they would leave this city forever to start a new life for themselves elsewhere.
A day that looked so far away but a day she knew would come soon. Soon come for them to walk down the street hand in hand not fearing anything.
Not fearing of someone ambushing them. Not fearing that one of them possibly both could be kidnapped by some of those that only wanted to hurt them and their families.
A day where they could raise a family together in peace. A day she was looking forward to. A day she has often thought about that would bring out a smile across her face.
But for now she would wait. For now she would be patient and endure the darkness until the light would shine down brightly towards them.
The day their nightmares would end. But a day that would come at a later date as a sound coming from the outside of their closed bedroom door causes her to snap out of her thoughts.
Snap out of her thoughts to look over towards the closed bedroom door listening closely to hear nothing but the floorboards creaking from the other side.
Creaking silently as though someone was making their way closer to the door. Creaks that make Laurel lift her head up from her pillow in the form of Oliver's chest and keep an close eye on the door.
A door that remains unmoving despite the creaks coming to a close outside with a noticeable shadow seen underneath.
This shadow that makes her heart beat loud in her chest as she very slowly wiggles out of Oliver's embrace slightly just enough to pull her arm free and grab a hold of a gun resting on top of a nearby nightstand to her right.
A gun that had been given to her long ago. A small present from her father the day she had first stepped foot inside of a courtroom.
An object that she had protested to never need. To never want to use but she had kept it thanks to his quick thinking.
Thanks to his pleading. How she could just kiss him right now if he was here right now as the days going to the shooting range come back to her.
How silently her thumb flips off the safety only to come up and cock back the barrel as the end of the barrel comes to point at the closed door.
A closed door that silently starts to shake when the door handle is wiggled from the other side. Wiggled with someone trying to gain entry finding only the door to be locked.
Such a necessary caution for a place like this. For the situation that they find themselves in right now.
This door that suddenly she hears a click coming from signaling that somehow the lock had been picked from the other side.
Had been picked before very slowly with her aim true she sits up even straighter with Oliver's arms still wrapped around her using his chest to lay across getting into a better shooting position.
Such a great position for her to see the door very quietly being swinging open revealing a figure dressed entirely in black.
Dressed entirely in black with a black ski mask covering their face. Attire that she could care less about as without any hesitation she pulls back on the trigger unleashing a bullet out from the chamber that lands it mark against her intended target in the form of this wannabe thug's right kneecap sending them crumpling to the ground screaming out in pain grabbing a hold of their blood covered knee.
A scream that she can hear commotion coming from all around her. Hear commotion of the police officers stationed here to protect them calling out from another room as they race over to see what has happened.
The man that is holding her snapping awake from the sudden gunshot coming from his chest. This man that she can feel panicking underneath her.
The very same panic she can feel deep inside of her as she hears her heart beating loudly in her ears. Beating so loudly.
So loudly until she drops the gun in her hands down onto the floorboard with a clang once she sees the police officers rushing over to detain the masked thug before without any resistance she collapses into Oliver's waiting arms wrapping her own tightly around him as she stares down towards the masked man being rolled face first to the ground and handcuffed.
A scene in the following months she would have nightmares about. Nightmares of what could have happened if she acted differently.
If she hadn't pulled the trigger. If she hadn't been more alert about their surroundings. These nightmares that would come to a sudden halt once the day had finally come after a long waited year.
The day they would step on a plane and take on last glance towards the city that they had called home for years to never return.
Never return bringing forth the end of their nightmares. Nightmares that would never haunt them again.
Never again haunt the lives of the new Mr and Mrs Queen Lance.