I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.
Chapter One
Starling City. Five days later…
"Oliver Queen is alive." The news reporter states.
"The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago, along with two other survivors. Sara Lance and a man named Slade Wilson. Five years after he and Miss Lance was presumed dead, following the tragic accident at sea which claimed The Queen's Gambit." The report reads.
"Queen was a tabloid presence and fixture on the club scene, before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi. Sara Lance, the daughter of Detective Quentin Larry Lance, an ordinary college girl at the time, was a passenger on The Queen's Gambit having been invited personally by Queen himself for reasons unknown. Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also on board, has now officially been confirmed as deceased."
Two sets of feet race down the hospital corridor. Moira Queen and Quentin Larry Lance.
Their children are alive. They are in this hospital. They are home.
A doctor turning the corner is bombarded instantly by the two parents.
"Where is He/She?" They say simultaneously. The doctor gives both parents a sympathetic smile before indicating to a door, just a few small steps away.
Moving quickly, anxiousness settling in both of them as they stand facing the now opened door.
Oliver stands up tall near the window, his back to them. Sara, the same. Except she has her arm coiled around Oliver's waist, her head on his shoulder and then there's the man neither Moira and Quentin have met before. Slade Wilson, who sits in the window seat. A bored expression upon his face.
The doctor clears his throat to regain the attention of Moria and Quentin.
"We couldn't separate them. They refused point blank to be. I suppose that's what comes from spending five years in hell with one another." The doctor shrugs.
"How are they physically? Is their any permanent damage?" Moria whispers, the thought alone sending shivers down her spine of their being any permanent damage to her son.
"That's where it gets interesting. With Mr. Queen, twenty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue. There are also second degree burns on his back and arms. The X-Rays that we did show at least twelve fractures that never properly healed."
Moria stands there, covering her mouth with her hands in shock and horror.
"What about my baby girl?" Quentin whispers. Preparing himself for the worse after hearing what Queen had gone through.
"Miss Lance has similar wounds to Oliver. At least twelve percent of her body is covered in scar tissue and at least five fractures that didn't heal." The doctor tells Quentin solemnly.
Quentin can only stand there. In some ways relieved that his baby girl had suffered less then Queen.
"To be perfectly honest. The worst off is probably Mr. Wilson. There's not much of his body that isn't covered in scar tissue, countless fractures that haven't healed. I'm suspecting he was ex-military or something, due to the countless injuries he's seem to have obtained over many more years then just five. There is also the fact of his eye being missing. I expect that an incident occurred that required his eyeball to be removed, due to their being evidence of a seemingly shoddy surgical procedure." The doctor explains grimly.
"Has he said anything? Has he said anything about what happened to him?" Moria asks.
"No. He's barely said anything. The only words he has spoken being to Miss Lance and Mr. Wilson."
Moira closes her eyes in despair. The doctor nods.
"The only words spoken aloud by any one of them was actually when Mr. Wilson threatened to gouge our eyes out if we separated the three of them!"
Moira and Quentin shuffle into the room nervously. The doctor follows.
"Moira, Quentin. I would like you to prepare yourselves. The Oliver and Sara that you lost five years ago might not be the one's they found." He warns them before leaving to give the family privacy.
"Oliver?" Moira called nervously, Quentin following straight afterwards.
"Baby?" Quentin whispers.
Sara and Oliver slowly turn around to face their parents, their hands still entwined. Empty looks upon both of their faces.
"Daddy!" The word slips from Sara's mouth as she races into her father's outstretched arms. Quentin laughs out of pure relief and slight disbelief as he holds his daughter in his arms after five, excruciatingly painful years!
"I've got you baby, I've got you. You're home." He whispers into her stagily blonde hair. Hot, fresh tears streaming down both of their cheeks.
Meanwhile, Oliver had also walked toward his mother.
"Mom." He murmurs as she quickly wraps him in her arms.
"My boy. My beautiful boy." She whispers as she holds him.
Both Moira and Quentin never wanting to ever let go of their children again. The irrational fear of losing them again still lingering in the air.
After what seems like a millennium to both Oliver and Sara, their parents release them from almost bone crushing, hugs.
They take each other's hands again. Moira and Quentin both noticing Slade, on his feet and standing behind Sara and Oliver.
Protectively, almost.
"I just can't believe you're really here." Quentin breaks the silence that had descended.
Slade tries not to roll his eyes. He had expected this after all and tries to contain himself from saying something arsey. It is a hard task, especially for Slade!
"And safe. You're both safe." Moira chimes, choosing in that moment to hug Sara. Prompting Quentin to shake and pat Oliver's arm.
Neither Moria or Quentin knowing exactly what to say to Slade. In the end they don't say a word.
"Rather amazing really." Slade chooses to respond to Moira's comment in a dull voice. Oliver sighs and places his hand behind his back, intending to hit Slade. Yet despite the fact they are all knackered, weak and still slightly shellshocked. Slade still deflects him!
"Alright! The discharged papers have been dealt with. Let's get you home." Moira announces, turning for the door. Stopping when she realizes Oliver and Sara haven't moved.
"Come on baby girl. Your sister won't wait much longer." Quentin smiles at Sara.
Still, Oliver and Sara don't move. Realizing what this means.
They will have to leave Slade behind.
It hits Quentin after a few moments. He nods and looks to Moria.
"How about we give them a few moments?" He suggests.
Moira sighs, yet reluctantly agrees. Watching as the three of them embrace.
Sara is the first to break from the embrace, yet keeps a tight grip on Slade's hand in farewell.
Oliver, on the other hand wraps his arms around his friend, whispering quick instructions into Slade's ear.
"I think I can use a bloody map, kid." He growls inaudibly to Oliver, who tries not to crack a smile.
"Be careful, kid. We both know clumsiness is still your greatest downfall." He murmurs. Oliver closes his eyes in mild frustration.
In the end it is Sara, who tugs on Oliver's hand to get them to leave.
Wrapping one arm around her waist again, Oliver pulls Sara close as they leave the hospital room and Slade behind. Fear filling them both the instant they leave at having to leave Slade behind. They do it anyway because if there is only one thing both Oliver and Sara can be certain of it is that they will see him again and soon.
Both Oliver and Sara thought the hardest thing would be the split from Slade. As it becomes evident on the hospital car park that Sara is going home with her dad and Oliver, with his mother.
They clutch to one another when they realize what is happening. Being away from Slade is bad enough, but being away from each other. Sara feels, will be an impossibility!
"Please send my regards to your family Quentin." Moira shakes his hand firmly.
"Same to yours Moira." He replies, patting Oliver's arm once more.
Sara warps her arms around Oliver again, burying her face into his chest.
They haven't been apart from one another in five years for more then brief seconds. Sara fears she won't survive being apart from him for so long.
"Love you." Oliver murmurs as he presses his lips to her forehead.
Sara wipes her damp eyes.
"Love you to." She replies as they share one more kiss, holding onto one another for dear life. Dreading the moment when they have to let go…
Starling City hasn't changed much after five years.
Something that Oliver discovers on the drive, in the luxury limo, home.
Queen Mansion hasn't changed. In fact, when they arrive. It's like he had never left and spent the last five years in hell!
Following his mother through the old wooden doors of his home she begins to chat nervously.
"Your room is exactly how you left it. Haven't moved anything!" She chatters. Oliver smiles in response at his mother's mundane approach to what's happened.
"Didn't have the heart to change anything."
However, upon entering his home he is surprised to see his father's friend from the company standing by a table, which bears several photo frames.
"Oliver. Damm good to see you! It's Walter. Walter Steele." He shakes Oliver's hand.
"You remember Walter?" His mother asks nervously.
"Your father's friend from the company?" She presses.
"It's good to see you Raisa!" Oliver turns his attention to the family maid. Ignoring his mother and Walter.
She embraces him. "Welcome home Mr. Qu…"
"Oliver." He reminds her as she bustles off.
"Mr Merlyn phoned. He wants to join you for dinner." Walter turns to Moira, who gives him a beaming smile in response.
"Wonderful!" She says before freezing as she hears something.
Walter hears it to and a wide grin spreads across his face.
"Oliver? Did you hear that?"
Oliver spins around at the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Grinning himself.
"Hey sis." He smiles as his sister, Thea Queen comes into view.
She stands there for a moment, whilst registering what is in front of her. Her bother. Her brother is home.
"I knew it. I knew you were alive." She whispers as she throws herself into his arms.
"I missed you so much."
Oliver shakes his head and presses a kiss to the side of hers.
"You were with me the whole time."
Meanwhile at the Lance's…
"Come on Laurel. We're lawyers, not miracle workers. We can't win this." Laurel Lance's friend Johanna says from Laurel's kitchen.
Johanna, bless her had chosen to stay with Laurel for moral support after the announcement that Oliver Queen and Sara Lance are alive. Alive and should be arriving any minutes now, however with both girls being lawyers and both working at CNRI. A debate soon began about a current case.
"If we can't win a class action against a man who swindled hundreds of people out of their life savings. We are not fit to be called a legal aid office." Laurel Lance replies, taking a sip from her coffee.
"And if we go bankrupt in the process we won't be a legal aid office! Hunt has an army of lawyers and they are ready to bury us!" Johanna argues.
"You and I against an army? I love those odds!"
"Why do you hate me? And…"
A knock on the door makes both girls jump.
Putting her mug down Laurel races for the door, unlocking it quickly to reveal her father and behind her father…
"SARA!" Laurel practically screeches as she pulls Sara into her arms, stroking her baby sisters hair.
"You're home. You're ok. You're home." Laurel whispers, mirroring her father from the hospital whilst pressing kisses to the side of her sisters head.
Sara cries against her sister, who holds her tightly in her arms.
Tears for the pain, guilt, sorrow, misery that had plagued her for five long years before finally starting to fade starting right here, right now.
Alone, Oliver looks at the photographs on the table.
One's of him, his father. The Queen's Gambit…
His thoughts go immediately to Sara. Needing her here right now. It's been too long. Too long!
"What did I tell you? Yachts suck." A familiar voice breaks through his soliquay.
"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver murmurs the name of his best friend, another grin making its way to his face as he turns to see his best friend standing right behind him.
Tommy has him in a hug before either can say anything.
"I missed you buddy." Oliver sighs in relief at the feeling of having his best friend in his arms and for a moment Oliver wonders away from the angst. The fact he has been apart from Sara for took long and even the fact he had to leave Slade! And he wonders actually what Tommy and Slade will make of one another when his two best friends come face to face!
Slade, in question has found himself on the other side of town.
He's in the right place. Well he better be in the right place, he's not moving all that again!
Bloody rich kid can't even move his own shit! Slade thinks to himself for a moment. Yet reminds himself he shouldn't be so harsh on Oliver after that exhausting reunion earlier!
Instead he lies back and tries to shut his eye.
He would be lying if he said he didn't care about them and that being apart from Oliver and Sara for this amount of time is an unusual feeling.
However, he thinks as he lies back and let's sleep claim him.
At least he won't be awoken in the middle of the night to a certain bloody idiot tripping over him nightly, to take next watch!
Yet that doesn't mean he doesn't sit up for a moment and say.
"First watch is on me kids."
Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading. I can't believe the response this story has gotten thank you so much! Especially to those who have favorited and followed and reviewed! Please tell me what you though. Next chapter should be up shortly. Thanks again for reading xxxxxxxxxxxxx