Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own recurve bow.
Author's Note: This is an idea that has been floating around in my head over the last few episodes. Laurel seems the sort of person who likes to have answers, so I think she would have pushed to know what happened to Sara. This is what I think that might have looked like. The first chapter is set between episodes fourteen and fifteen of season two. Laurel and Sara start to patch things up at the end of 2x14, but Laurel was still in a rough place personally and I think Sara might have accidentally internalized a lot of the ugly things her sister had said at the end of the previous episode. So this is my take on them finally getting past all that. In other words, it's basically the 2.0 version of the scene between the Lance sisters at the end of episode fourteen. But enough of me talking. Enjoy!
Sorry
It's strange having Sara back in her life. Laurel loves it, of course. It's wonderful to have a sister again. But she also spent six whole years of her life without Sara. Some days it almost feels like those years never happened, and then there are other days when Laurel looks at her sister and wonders how on earth the college student she knew turned into this capable young woman. Sara never talks about those six years, and Laurel gets the feeling she isn't supposed to ask. But sometimes she just can't help herself. The few vague details Sara gave might be enough to satisfy everyone else, but Laurel has been a lawyer long enough to know that there is far more to the story than what Sara has told her.
The first time she asks about it, the question leads to a huge fight. It's their first real fight since Sara got back. Excluding, of course, the initial family dinner and the night Laurel threw a glass at her. But other than that, things have been fairly good between them. Granted, they've only been on speaking terms for just over a week. But still.
Sara comes over early on Sunday for some sister time. It starts off fine. They talk about everything that has changed in Starling City and then turn to scouring the paper for possible jobs for Laurel. That particular hunt is not going well at all, which in hindsight is probably why she gets so upset so quickly.
"You know, a few weeks ago I was a respected lawyer," she says as she reaches the bottom of the job listings. "And now I'm applying for retail jobs. My standards have lowered dramatically."
"You could be a plumber's assistant," Sara offers, looking at one of the ads. Laurel wrinkles her nose.
"Not that dramatically," she says drily. Sara chuckles and turns back to the page. Laurel looks over at her in sudden interest. "What about you? What are you planning on doing with your life?"
"Don't know yet," Sara admits with a shrug. "I haven't thought that far. I'm still getting used to being back."
Laurel looks down at the paper, suddenly feeling the urge to ask the forbidden question.
"Can I ask you something?" she says.
"Sure," Sara agrees without looking up.
"Where were you the last six years?" Laurel asks carefully.
Sara's expression changes immediately. It's almost as if a wall has suddenly gone up between the two of them.
"It's a long story," she says quietly.
"I have time," Laurel offers.
"It doesn't matter now," Sara says, clearly trying to dodge the question. "What matters is that I came back."
"It doesn't matter?" Laurel asks in disbelief. "You were gone for six years, Sara. Six years! You can't just waltz back in here and pretend like that never happened."
"I'm not trying to," Sara begins.
"Well, it sure seems like it," Laurel interrupts. "For all I know, you spent the last six years on a beach somewhere."
"It wasn't like that," Sara says quietly. "I didn't have any way to contact you for a long time. And when I finally did, you already thought I was dead."
"So you just let us keep thinking it?" Laurel presses. "Sara, we went through hell after the Gambit sank. Mom left. Dad started drinking and had to go through rehab. You saw what this last year turned me into. We needed you. And now all of a sudden you're back like nothing ever happened? You owe us an explanation."
"I can't give you one," Sara says. She still isn't looking up.
"Can't or won't?" Laurel challenges. When Sara doesn't answer, Laurel keeps going. "You have no idea what our family has gone through-"
"And you have no idea what I've gone through!" Sara yells. She's finally snapped. Too late Laurel realizes how hard she's been pushing. "You're not the only one who had a rough few years, Laurel. I have lived through things that you can't even imagine. I have done things to survive that you would not believe. I have had to fight and claw just to stay alive."
"Sara-" Laurel begins, trying to undo the damage. But the floodgates have finally opened and Sara isn't slowing down.
"I don't know what you want me to say," she says. Her voice sounds angry, but her eyes are full of pain. "That I'm sorry? There. I said it. I'm sorry I got on the stupid boat. I'm sorry I stole your life. I'm sorry I ruined Mom and Dad's marriage. I was a stupid kid who made a stupid mistake and I'm sorry. But I spent the last six years paying for it, so I don't know what else you want from me." She swallows hard and Laurel suddenly realizes how close her younger sister is to tears. "Maybe you'd be happier if I had just stayed dead."
With that, Sara gets up from the table and heads for the door, grabbing up her jacket on the way out. Laurel is rooted to her chair in shock.
"Sara, wait," she calls.
The only answer she gets is the slamming of her front door. A heavy silence falls over the apartment. Laurel's eyes begin to burn as she leans back in her chair. She hasn't missed the fact that Sara just recited back the same accusations Laurel hurled at her the night she returned. Sara always did have a remarkable memory. The up side is that she was able to pass most of her college exams with next to no studying. But the down side is that she never forgets a single hurtful word Laurel has ever said to her.
Suddenly finding a job seems like the least of Laurel's problems.
"Nice work, counselor," she mutters.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Laurel stays in her apartment until nearly midnight before getting in her car and driving out to Verdant. It's Sunday night, which means Thea will be making the place close early so that people have time to more or less sleep off their hangovers before work. Sara is alone wiping down the counter when Laurel walks in. She looks up briefly and then immediately looks back down.
"Hey," Laurel says awkwardly as she approaches the bar.
"Hey," Sara replies without looking up. Laurel hesitates, unsure of what to say. In the end, Sara beats her to it. She shakes her head and blurts out, "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have gone off like that."
"You're not the one who needs to apologize," Laurel tells her. "You were right. I have... no idea what you have been through. I had no right talk to you like that, and I'm sorry. The thing is... I've spent my whole life working towards being a lawyer, and now that it's gone... I don't really know what to do without it. And that's just part of the mess that is currently my life. But it wasn't fair to take that out on you, and I'm sorry. You don't deserve that."
"It's okay," Sara says honestly. Laurel can't decide if she wants to laugh or shake her sister. When did Sara become so understanding?
"No, it's not," she insists. She takes a deep breath and lets it out. "When you first came back, I said some things, terrible things. But I didn't mean them. You did not ruin Mom and Dad's marriage. They were fighting even before you disappeared. Honestly, I think Mom was just waiting for us both to leave home before getting a divorce. And you didn't steal my life either. I made this mess all on my own. I just didn't have the courage to face up to that. And as for the boat... Sara, you were twenty years old. Twenty-year-olds do stupid things. But that doesn't make it your fault. You didn't cause that storm. Besides, I was the one pressuring Ollie and I was the one who pushed you away, so if it's anyone's fault, it's mine."
"It's not your fault," Sara says with a shake of her head.
"Well, it's not yours either," Laurel says firmly. "And even if it was, that wouldn't change the fact that I am so glad you came back. You have brought light and joy back into my life. And right now I need that more than ever. My life is a mess, Sara, and I need you in it. I need my little sister. So don't you ever think that I would be better off without you. Because if you do, I'll... well, I don't know what I'll do. But you'll regret it."
Sara chuckles a bit in spite of herself. Laurel reaches across the bar and takes both of Sara's hands in her own.
"I mean it, Sara," she says seriously. "You were right. It doesn't matter what happened. All that matters is that you came back. And I need you to stick around for a while, okay?"
"Okay," Sara whispers. Her eyes are damp, but there is a smile on her face again. Laurel smiles back at her. She gives Sara's hands a final squeeze before letting them go.
"Now," she says, reaching over and holding up the plastic bag that she had set on the bar stool beside her. "How about you help me with this?"
She pulls back the edges of the bag to reveal a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough. Ever since they were in middle school, it has become a tradition that any late night Lance sister bonding time requires cookie dough. It also tends to be the peace offering of choice when one of them has seriously hurt the other. Sara's smile is a clear signal that she too remembers the tradition.
"You got a whole tub," she says, impressed.
"We have a lot of time to make up for," Laurel says.
"I guess we do," Sara agrees.
She finds two spoons somewhere behind the counter and then heads around to the bar stools. The two of them end up sitting at the bar until the early hours of the morning. They eat cookie dough until they're nearly sick, talking and laughing all the while. It feels good to finally be acting like sisters again.
In spite of her joy at finally spending some real quality time with Sara, there is still a tiny question nagging at the back of Laurel's mind. She meant what she said. It doesn't matter where Sara was the last six years. But that doesn't mean she doesn't still wonder about it.
So how was it? I realize it was a bit cheesy, but I promise the rest are better. This is easily my least favorite chapter. I have the rest of them already written, so I'll post a new one every few days. In the meantime, leave a review and let me know what you think! I love hearing from my readers, and it also encourages me to update faster. :)