Oliver POV

It had been five long years since I had seen the city that sat below me. There had been times that I thought I wasn't going to make it back at all, but then I would think of what my father had told me. Survive he said before ending his own life to save mine. He had also told me that he was not the man that I thought he was, and that I had to come home to right his wrongs. I would keep my promise, and take back the city from the crooks that have it within their grasp. It was my mission, and that mission felt like something I wasn't going to be able to do as Oliver Queen. No I would have to be more than Oliver Queen, more than just a man. I knew as soon as I got out of here I would have to being to work on a plan, find a place to work from and start building this person that I would have to become to defeat the evils that lurked around Starling City. The time away and on the island had definitely prepared me physically for this task I was to undertake, but I would have to ensure that the people I care about, the people I love and fought to get back to, would be safe. I stood there staring out the window, formulating my plans and reliving everything I had been through, so I hadn't noticed my mother enter the room.

"Oliver." She whispered before approaching and wrapping her arms tightly around me. I had missed my mother and sister immensely, so this felt good to see her again and allow her some peace in knowing she had not lost her son after all. "Honey, I can't believe it's actually you. You're really here."

"I'm here mom." I said kissing her cheek. "I'm home."

"Are you alright? Were you hurt?" My mother cried as she leaned back to take a look at me.

"I'm fine Mom. No major injuries to report. I just want to get home, and get to Queen Consolidated. To get back to some kind of normal." I said with a sigh before returning to look out the window.

"One day at a time Oliver. Let's work on getting you settled at home. I know Aubrey and Thea are probably chomping at the bit to see you." Mom said with a smile.

"Aubrey?" Oliver asked.

"Yes honey, she's been such a rock for Thea and I over the last five years. She moved into the manor about a year after you had been gone. A few months after her father passed from liver cancer. That house was just too big for her to be in all by herself." Mom said as she took a seat on the bed.

"How is she mom?" I asked turning to look at her.

"She always held it together for us, but I could tell she was hurting. You are a big part of her world honey. It was hard for her to figure out how to move on without her best friend. Her and Tommy lost a part of the three amigos after all." Mom said with a slight smile. I offered a smirk as well, remembering how the three of us were practically inseparable when we were kids. "You kids have always had this bond, I always envied that."

"When can we get home then. I really need to see her." I said with a sigh. Aubrey was my best friend, and the more time I spent away, the more I came to realize that she was so much more than that. Sure I had been feeling conflicted about my feelings towards her ever since her 18th birthday, that's why I just continued to throw myself into Laurel, and then Sarah. I didn't know how to be the guy that Aubrey deserved, so I always just played it off like she was just my sister. Every time Laurel asked or raised concern over how close I was with Aubrey, I would just brush her off and tell her it was nothing. However, I knew better and it was the hope that maybe someday I could tell her how I truly felt that kept me fighting to get back. In moments of weakness when I felt like giving up I would see her face and it would remind me that I had to get back to her.

"You will honey. She was out I think on a date, I called her on my way here and asked her to go stay with Thea until we got home." My mom said which interrupted me from my thoughts.

"A date?" I asked trying not to sound too jealous.

"Yes a third one I think, with Mark Masterson, you remember him don't you from some of the parties I threw with his mother." Mom continued to talk about how great mark was and I could feel the jealous building up with every word. She finally stopped talking about him when we both heard some sort of commotion from the hallway. I could hear the guard telling someone they couldn't come in and then a thump, sounding almost as if someone had fallen to the ground. I instinctively began to clench my fists, standing almost at the read to pounce on whatever was trying to fight its way into the room. And then I instantly relaxed when I saw who was standing at the doorway to my hospital room. Mom heard her as well but had her back to the doorway, so she turned to scold whoever had entered before realizing who it was. "I asked that we not be distrurb….Aubrey? I thought I told you to go wait with Thea back at the house?"

"Ollie?" Aubrey whispered before running over to me. I knew exactly what she was going to do so I quickly stepped away from my mothers path and opened my arms ready to catch her. I quickly buried my face in her dark curls, taking in a deep breath and reveling in her scent. It smelt like strawberries and fresh vanilla, and was absolutely intoxicating. She seemed to be doing the same, as I could feel the fresh tears and her warm break on my neck. She let out an almost contented sounding sigh and wound her arms tightly around me before speaking again. "I'm so happy you are home. Don't you ever do that to us again!" She cried. "I missed you Ollie, so much."

"I missed you too bug." I said as I smiled into her hair once again, using her nickname that I had always called her ever since we were kids always made me smile. It was something we shared, that was just for us. I remembered once Tommy had tried to call her that and she had given him a huge bruise on his arm from a punch. She was always so tough, and yet so loving and kind and generous, I never felt I deserved her as a friend, but she was always there no matter what. I should have guessed that me coming back from the dead would be no different. I pulled back slightly so I could look into her eyes before speaking again. She had tears still welled up, and I could tell she was trying to keep them in check, but failing miserably. "I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me now."

"Good. I'd happily be stuck with you." She said with a slight laugh as I gently set her feet back on the ground. I felt her hands move from the back of my neck, to each side of my face. It seemed as if she was taking in my face and almost memorizing my features. I was sure that I had changed a bit since being gone, I know I certainly felt that I looked older, more worn almost. I began to do the same to her. Taking in how she had changed over the five years too. She was still as beautiful as ever, soft pale skin, dark curls cascading around her face, bright blue eyes staring up at me. She didn't look as though she had aged a day, but somehow she had changed from the college student he had left, to a woman of the world. She seemed refined, elegant and more confident than I had remembered her ever being. It made me smile, she is everything that I imagined her becoming while I was away. I could have stayed there staring into her eyes forever, but the sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway brought us both out of our trance

"Um sorry to intrude Mr. Queen, Mrs. Queen, but I have to escort the young lady out of the building right now." A young man in a security uniform said with a shaky breath.

"Oh It's okay young man this girl is part of the family." My mother said to the young security guard. I instinctively pulled Aubrey back towards my body, her head coming to rest on my chest.

"That's all fine and dandy Mrs. Queen, but she broke the nose of one of my guys, so for today I am going to have to ask her to leave the building." An older man dressed in the same uniform stated as he stepped into the room.

"Bri" I said with a laugh. I always knew she was tough, but damn I didn't think she was that tough.

"Unfortunately I am guilty as charged. He was trying to keep me out of the room Ollie. After five years of not seeing my best friend I wasn't about to wait a second longer." She said with a laugh. "But don't worry gentlemen I will go gently. I will see you guys back at the house. Thea is probably going out of her mind with worry." she added before leaning up and placing a soft kiss on my cheek. "I really did miss you Ollie. See you back at the house."

"Missed you too bug. Thanks for coming. I don't think I could've waited a second longer to see you either." I replied before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. I watched her walk out of the room, with the guards trailing behind her, now even more anxious to get home then before. I could feel my mother's eyes on me and sure enough when I turned to look at her she was staring at me with a smirk. I could see the wheels turning in her mind and the smoke coming out of her ears. "What are you smiling about mom?"

"Oh nothing dear. Just happy that you are home. Who knows maybe you're father had it right all along." She said very aloof. It confused me, what could she be talking about.

"What do you mean? What did dad have right all along?" I asked trying to search her eyes for some kind of indication as to what she was talking about.

"Oh nothing to worry about sweetheart. Come on let's get you home." She said before beginning to help me grab the few things I had with me. Once I was all check out there was a car waiting for us and we hopped in and began the drive back to Queen manor. I couldn't help but grow sad at the sites before me. We drove somewhat past the glades on our drive back to the house, and it saddened me to see the state of this part of town. My mother made some kind of comment about the less unfortunate and charity, but I didn't really register it. I simply took in all the darkness around me. Then suddenly my eyes came upon my dad's old Steel factory and an idea popped into my head. I decided not to put too much thought into it for now. Right now I wanted to focus on seeing Thea, and spending more time to Aubrey. I had missed so much, and I knew I needed to focus on seeing all the people I missed, and eventually that would include seeing Laurel, who I anticipated to be quite unhappy to see me return. Not only because I survived and her sister did not return, but because of the fact that I had been dating her, and sleeping with her sister behind her back. It was going to be an interesting few months as I tried to regain some of the Oliver I used to know, but I was willing to try.