The Undertaking. That is what they are calling it. A night that city had changed forever. Hundreds dead.
Countless families destroyed. Loved ones lost to never return. So much to take. Too much for him to take.
One man. One individual that silently follows after a guard. A man that was thought of to been lost out at sea along with his father.
A young man that has returned home as someone else. As something else. That is what he always said anyways.
What that something was is still up for debate. Some would call him a hero. Some would call him a deranged killer.
He was more inclined to believe the later at this point. Their lives. The hundreds of lives lost on that night were his fault.
He was to blame for their demise. If only he was faster. If only he unraveled his greatest foe's scheme quicker.
If only he anticipated another bomb hidden out there somewhere in the heart of The Glades. But he didn't.
He didn't and it would come with a severe cost. Come at the cost of hundreds of innocent lives being lost.
Cost of the life of his best friend. Cost the last of his humanity. Cost his very own life. A life that just seemed meaningless now.
He had failed. Plain and simple. He had failed the city. A failure that was too much for him to take. A failure that he would often think about inside of his cell.
But this wasn't his greatest failure. No his greatest failure could be found walking the streets of Starling City.
His greatest failure in life was her. He had failed her. Dinah Laurel Lance. A woman that he believed truly is a god send.
An angel placed here on Earth. A woman that always saw the good in people. A woman that despite everything.
Despite the lies. Despite the cheating. Despite his wrongs still found it in her heart to give him another chance.
A chance that he would not waste. A chance that had made his final decision even harder. He had her. He finally had her back.
Finally things were looking up for him. He truly had her. His dream girl. The woman that he has loved for most of his life.
But he had pissed it away. He had thrown it all away thanks to his latest failure. Thanks to this Undertaking taking place.
An event that became too much for him to take. The guilt was too much for him to take causing him to do something that nobody would ever expect.
Cause for him to leave her bed and write out a length note leaving it on the pillow next to her own. A note that revealed everything.
Revealed what he truly does every single night. Revealed his true feelings towards her. A note that he had poured his heart and soul out to her.
The very last time that he had seen her before turning himself in. turning himself into the Starling City police revealing himself as The Vigilante to the public.
An event that he can remember like it was yesterday. Remember how every single cop in ear shot instantly turned their weapons towards him.
Remember the smug look across Quentin Lance's face as he was handcuffed and taken away. But that didn't matter.
No the face that he would always remember would be her's. Remember her angelic face. Remember her smile.
Remember the twinkle in her eye whenever she was up to no good. Remember how she would bit down on her lip and pout whenever she was deep in thought.
Images that have kept him going. Images that he would replay over and over again as he gets used to this routine.
His life now here within these walls. Within these prison walls. A place that many would be terrified to find themselves in.
But he wasn't. No he wasn't scared at all. The reason was simple. This was his punishment. This was his punishment for his sins outside of these walls.
The sin of not being able to save the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. The sin of all of the wrongs that he had done to others.
Wrongs that he still thinks about every single day even now. Even now as he is slowly lead through an nearly empty corridor by a lone guard.
Lead silently through passing by a few inmates being lead back to their respective cells. Inmates that don't pay him a second glance.
Don't spare him another look all thanks to one thing. Fear. They are afraid of him. Plain and simple. They are afraid of what he would do to them.
Fear that had been formed on his very first day here. Formed during what the inmates would claim to be their first chance to get some payback against this so called hero.
Against this so called vigilante. A man that now entered into their world. Their realm. Their domain and they would damn make sure he knew it too.
Or so they thought. It had been a slaughter. Five inmates sent to the infirmary with severe injuries. Some that would be lucky if they ever walked again.
Some that would be lucky to even breath again. A simple statement made that would leave him untouched.
Leave him isolated away from the rest of the inmates. Inmates since that day were too scared to approach him.
Too scared to breath the same air as him. Too scared to be within arm's reach of him. Something that suited him just fine.
Allowed him to be trapped inside of his own world. Trapped inside of his mind filled with so much guilt. The very guilt that brought him here to begin with.
Guilt that keeps his eyes glued to the ground as he is ushered forward into a room. A room that he has never been in before.
A room that he slowly lifts his eyes up from the ground to take in. this wasn't just an ordinary room. No this was a visiting room.
A room used for inmates to have visitors. To talk to their loved ones right behind some glass. A room that makes his eyes widen slightly before they go as wide as saucers when he turns his head towards the glass.
Turns his head towards the glass to find a familiar face waiting for him from the other side. A woman that just smiles at him.
A woman that raises up her right hand and waives slightly at him without her smile waivering at all. His angel.
The very woman that has always been with him through everything in spirit. A woman that looks just as beautiful as the last day that he had seen her.
The beautiful smile. The twinkle in her eye. The look of understanding in her eyes that are staring silently into his own.
A look that makes his eyes burn before he has to glance away in hopes of blinking away the tears that want to fall.
A feat that he accomplishes before he silently makes his way over towards a vacant chair. Makes his way to sit directly across from her as he sees her reaching up to snatch the telephone on her side of the glass.
Something that makes him just stare silently at her. Stare silently with his right hand coming up to reach for the telephone only to freeze.
Freeze as an emotion that he has never experienced before inside of these walls comes rushing towards him.
Fear. Fear of what would be said. Fear of what she possibly thinks of him. The one person whose opinion matters that most to him.
Such a reason that makes his hand freeze within inches from the telephone. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by the woman staring at him from the other side of the glass.
A woman that just gives him a nod in encouragement as she continues to smile at him. Smile until it drops slightly when she sees him retract his hand.
Retract his hand and lowering it down to his side as his eyes leave her own to look down to the ground.
Look down until suddenly he once again meets her gaze. Meets her gaze having a pair of watery blue eyes meet her green own.
Meet while his right hand comes up slowly. Comes up slowly shaking before he presses the palm of his right hand on the glass.
An action that makes her blink away the tears that want to trickle down her cheeks before she slowly raises her free hand up to press against the glass right on top of his hand.
The smallest of actions that neither can take. The smallest of actions that make them lose control of their emotions.
Cause for Laurel's eyes to get misty as a silent tear trickles down Oliver's face from the other side of the glass.
A tear that goes unnoticed. A tear that is ignored as he grabs a hold of the telephone with his free hand while she raises up her own to her ear.
Grabs a hold of the telephone and raise it up to his ear only for his throat to go dry. Only for the words not to come as he stares deep into her green eyes.
Eyes that could read him better than anyone. Eyes that watch him with understanding. Watch as he tries to form a response only to close his mouth shut as though regretting his words.
" It's okay."
Seeing that he has his undivided attention keeping her eyes locked on his own a small smile comes across Laurel's face.
" You don't need to say anything."
Instantly as though he had flipped a switch a look of determination comes across Oliver's face as he shakes his head.
" Yes, I do. Laurel….i'm…."
Dropping his gaze down towards his lap after a few seconds of silence taking a shaky breath slowly Oliver raises his head back up to stare deep into her eyes.
" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. About everything. It was my fault."
With her grip of her telephone tightening leaning in closer to the glass as she sees him lowering his gaze back down with noticeable tears trickling down his cheeks slowly Laurel shakes her head.
" It's not your fault. None of this is. Do you understand?"
Receiving nothing but him shaking his head in response letting out a sigh gently Laurel taps her index finger against the glass causing him to lift his gaze back up to her.
" The Undertaking wasn't your fault. If you want to blame anyone then you blame Malcolm Merlyn. He is the one responsible. Not you."
" Your wrong. It's my fault. I couldn't….i couldn't save them."
" I know Ollie. I know but they couldn't be saved. That man was a monster. Plain and simple. The truth is sometimes you can't save everyone.
You may not have been able to save every life that had been lost that night but think about this. It would have been a lot worse if you didn't disable that bomb.
Instead of hundreds being lost we would be talking thousands. Thousands of lives taken at the hands of Malcolm Merlyn.
You saved hundreds of lives that night. You may not believe this but you are a hero. Not just because of those lives that you have saved but think about everyone else.
Think about the lives of every single citizen that you have saved from disposing of the corrupt. You are this city's guardian angel.
Your my guardian angel. Your my hero even if you don't think you are one."
Seeing her words instantly having a reaction in the form of his head dipping down to rest up against the glass reaching out gently Laurel lays her free hand down on top of the glass with only the glass separating her from stroking his cheek.
" Ollie? Ollie look at me."
As she sees him raise his head up to look at her staring deep into his eyes gently Laurel strokes the glass.
" Just hold on a little while longer. I'm gonna get you out of here."
" You can't. I won't let you…."
" God damn it! Listen to me! For once in your life shut up and listen for a change! I love you! Do you understand!? I love you and need you out here with me!"
Reaching up to wipe furiously away the tears that come trickling down her cheeks with her facial features softening gently Laurel places her hand back down on the glass.
" Please? Please, I can't lose you. Not again. Not after i just got you back. Please let me help you."
Staring deep into her eyes that are just pleading and begging for him to listen to her lowering his gaze down towards his lap as he repeats her words over and over again in his mind after what seems like an eternity raising up his head slightly to stare back into her eyes slowly Oliver nods his head.
" Okay."
Keeping her eyes locked on his own seeing nothing but honestly and no deception coming from them feeling her lips curling up slowly Laurel returns the nod.
" Okay. I need you to hold on just a little while longer. I'm doing everything that i can out there to ensure you are released from here but we're facing an uphill battle.
There are a lot of people that want to see you locked away in here with no chance of ever getting out but i'm not one of them. I'm not and neither is your family…."
" My family? Thea? My mom? How are they?"
" They're fine. They are doing better than you would think. I've been looking after Thea like she is my own since you were arrested.
Your mother on the other hand has been working around the clock. She is working behind the scenes calling in every single favor that she has to ensure that you are released.
I've been working non stop with the best attorneys at your family's disposal and we have built up a strong case to have you released.
The city is standing firm only willing to lessen your sentence but we believe we can have you released in the coming months into someone's care on a house arrest order.
I just need you to hold on a little while longer. A few more weeks. A month tops. I'll come visit you every single day and let you know how everything is going."
Nodding his head silently just as he opens his mouth feeling a hand coming down on his shoulder turning his head back Oliver finds the guard that had lead him inside of the room motioning his head over his shoulder.
" Your time is up. Let's go Mr Queen."
Nodding his head in understanding turning his head back forward finding Laurel glaring at the guard unable to say another word putting the phone down leaning over until his forehead is pressed up against the glass softly Oliver whispers out.
" I love you."
Words that she has longed to hear for the past three months. Words that make her heart race in her chest.
Words that make her eyes watery as she puts down her telephone and leans over to kiss the glass. Kiss the glass that separates her lips from his own.
A motion that is returned before she watches him lean back and slowly be lead out of the room by the guard.
Lead out of the room with her eyes trained on his retreating back before the door closes behind them making him disappear out of her sight.
Out of her line of vision allowing her to let the tears trickle down her cheeks. Tears that she wipes away before with newfound determination she rises up to her feet and makes her way out of the room.
The day has come. A day that he never thought he would see. The day that he was to be released. Released from this prison.
Released from what was many people's hell. Released from hell in salvation. Such a moment that he never thought he would ever see.
But she had done it. She had kept her promise. She had worked so hard to ensure his freedom. His angel.
His pretty bird. A woman that he would be eternally grateful for. Be eternal grateful to. A woman that he knew was just outside of these walls waiting for him.
Was just waiting for him to be lead outside. To be lead through these corridors one last time before he would breath fresh air once again as a free man
A free man with a new meaning to the word life. He would make the most of it. He would make sure the woman that he loves knows each and every single day how much she means to him.
A woman that he can picture right now as he is lead through the entrance of the prison with only a large gate in the way between him and freedom.
Picture her smiling face. Picture her dirty blonde hair flowing freely with the wind much like her personality.
A sight that comes true once he watches the gate slowly slide over revealing a sight. A sight that just makes him smile.
Reveals her standing at the gate. Reveals Laurel Lance standing on the other side of the gate standing next to a parked limo.
His family's limo. A limo that he pays no mind to in order to focus solely on her. Focus solely on her as he silently makes his way over to her.
Makes his way through the entrance as he sees her approach. As he sees her silently approach before he closes the distance between them to take her in his arms.
To hold onto her tight before his lips come crashing down into her own. A kiss filled with so much passion.
With so many silent messages between them. No matter what. Through thick and then. Through the worst of times they will always be there for each other.
They would come for each other not allowing anything to get in their way. Even themselves.