And I built a home for you, for me
Until it disappeared from me, from you
And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust

3 Years Later ; Starling City

"Good evening, I am Charles Levy, and tonight's top story is the Daniel Harris sentencing ruling. After two years of no leads, Harris was implicated and later found guilty of the brutal murder of Felicity Smoak. Last March Harris turned himself in and confessed to the murder. Police Chief Roberts said in a statement, "After speaking with Mr. Harris we knew we had the correct suspect. He had given us information that only a few handful of people knew in the department. None of these facts were ever released to the public" The question on everyone's mind is "Why?" Well tonight the hearing will be televised and Harris will be able to make one last statement to the court, and the public of this city might have some answers."

With that Oliver shut off the TV. He couldn't stand another second of hearing about this circus. After news broke that Felicity Smoak was found burnt to death the media sprang to action like vultures. Every waking second of local television was plastered with photos of Felicity. It made his stomach turn every time he caught a glimpse.

Of course it took about two weeks for the media to move onto another tragedy.

"Arrow" had paid a visit to Harris while locked up. Lance had made it possible to give him fifteen minutes alone with him. The official reports states that he was jumped by his fellow inmates. After that visit Oliver was sure of one thing. This man wasn't Felicity's murderer. If anything it made him dig his heels in even more.

Felicity was out there.

He was going to find her.

Thea Queen stood staring down at yet another gravestone. She barely knew the girl; their friendship was so new and budding. What she did know is that Oliver was head over heels and she was pretty sure Felicity was too. In the off chance that Oliver might settle down she wanted to get to know the girl first. Make sure she was good enough for brother. Despite what he thought, Oliver deserved the best, and Thea liked the potential of what these two could be.

But with all good things in their family's life, tragedy was soon to follow.

"You know I was hoping to see another Queen here today." Digg said from behind making Thea jump a little.

When she turned she had a small smile waiting for him. "I thought one of us should be here. Today of all days." She said sadly.

"Speaking of…" Digg started. "Will we being seeing the allusive Mr. Queen today?"

Thea's smile faded as she looked towards the ground and began to cry. Digg made a fast approach to embrace the young girl. Well not so young anymore. Still, the need to protect all the Queens in his life was a habit that would never die, didn't matter how old they were. Thea wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed lightly.

"He'll be at the courthouse. He promised, but god knows I've heard those words before." She chuckled a little but John could hear the wet sniffling behind it. "Maybe it's the closure he needs" She offered weakly. Hoping those words were true.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. Is he still in mourning, has he moved on? I feel like Oliver's in limbo and I have no idea what to do to drag him out of it." Digg stayed silent. He couldn't say anything at this moment to make her feel better. He sure as hell couldn't tell her the truth either.

Oliver is in limbo.

Waiting for her to come back. Digg stopped a long time ago trying to convince his friend otherwise.

Maybe it was the one thing that drove him to still be the Arrow.

His dear friend promised to stop his obsessive searching. The lengths Oliver was taking to get intel about where she might be was beginning to border on reckless. Getting into bed with the Bratva was one thing, but working with the Yakuza was the end of the line.

After a rather heated argument, and John knocking Oliver on his ass, they came to agreement. Oliver would stop obsessing.

"I don't know." Digg answered as truthfully as possible. Gently rubbing circles over Thea's back.

Hours had passed since Harris's sentencing.

John and Roy had no idea where Oliver was at. After being a no show at the courthouse they both began to worry about their friend, but Roy figured the best place to look was the one place he felt closest to her.

The Foundry.

Life in prison, without the possibility without parole.

"It's more than the bastard deserves." Roy muttered on their drive over to their base of operations. They had taken an emotionally drained Thea home and then headed straight to Verdant.

Not surprising, they found Oliver downstairs, punishing a dummy like it owed him money.

"Finally." Oliver said as he heard his partners enter. "Carter is making a move tonight. Shipments of illegal weapons and drugs. Your standard bad guy startup kit, but Carter has been evading police with the help of some inside crooked cops. We get them tonight, put the old fear of god into them, I'm pretty sure they'll give us names of the cops involved with the cover up."

"This has to be done tonight?" John spoke up first.

"We might not get a chance like this-"

"Oliver, we are talking organized crime here. Trust me when I say these worms will give us ample opportunity to bust them. What I am concerned with is that you are using this to forget what happened not but three hours ago. At the courthouse…where you should have been today."

"What do you want from me Digg?"

Roy finally snapped, "How about one god damn hour of grieving? All of us. This entire fucked up lot can't take time to say goodbye. It had only been a day after her funeral and we all picked up like it was business as usual." By this time Roy was walking up Oliver, getting right in his face. "How about you stop Oliver and acknowledge that she's gone. Dead or otherwise, whatever you want to believe, she is gone."

Digg looked on with shock. Oliver's fists were at his side while his jaw clenched in controlled anger.

Just as the tension was beginning to become too much, Sara crashed into the foundry knocking over a couple tables on her way down to the ground. The bickering stopped immediately as soon as they saw just how badly injured she was.

Oliver got to Sara first.

"What happened?"

"Hadiyyah" was the only thing she said before unconsciousness over took her.

Nanda Parbat

"Hadiyyah. It's time."

In Arabic she replied, "So soon?"

"You are ready. I know you are ready. My previous gift."

"Does he?" She asked suspiciously.

"He wouldn't send you if you didn't think you're ready."

Hadiyyah was one of little words, only speaking when she was required to do so. She nodded her acceptance, knowing it was better not to argue this point.

Notes: I struggled with this chapter. & I'm still not happy with how it turned out...I dunno I just feel like the flow was off. Anyways, more details of the past three years will be explored, most likely in flashbacks. Hadiyyah ; Gift