This chapter was...very difficult to write - the last part especially. Thank you all for your reviews. I hope you enjoy the next installment. Also, yes, Laurel will have her journey to becoming the Black Canary. I'm very excited to write about this, because the show did not do her journey justice at all.

A Caged Bird

Breakdown

It's been all over the news for the past few days. It's overwhelming and sends her back to when she first started dating Oliver. But, this isn't some petty romance tabloid. It's so much more personal, and all Laurel wants is just to forget. It was hard enough going to that police station and divulging each excruciating detail of her kidnapping. It's even harder that at first they questioned the honesty of her story when she explained how she was got home.

"Why didn't your sister call the police immediately?"

"Are you sure there's something you're not telling us?"

Fuck them. Laurel collapses into the seat next to Sara on her sofa. She's not sure how to cope with everything, but having Sara live with her at this point in time seems like an easy start. Sara's flipping through the channels and then she stops. It's a news channel. Laurel's insides twists into knots. She's not ready to hear another repeat of her "heartbreaking story" on the news. She wants it to go away, and she just wants to just pretend it never happened.

"Last night, several men were found dead by bow and arrow. Police were on the scene to see a hooded man fleeing the scene…"

"Turn it up!" Laurel hisses.

Sara points the remote at the T.V. to raise the volume. "The motive for these killings are unclear, but it is presumed they are connected with the 40 million dollars transferred from Adam Hunt's accounts."

Adam Hunt - Laurel is familiar with his name. She had tried to prosecute him a month before her disappearance, but unfortunately the judge threw her entire case against him out of court. It was the same judge that was assigned to prosecuting many of Vertigo's associates. She's shaking with anger. Adam Hunt has ties with Vertigo, and so does Judge Grell. Her masked savior must be privy to all of this information and more.

Her and Sara exchange glances before Laurel says, "Adam Hunt was someone I tried to prosecute. A judge threw my case out of court. It was the same judge that I worked with on the Vertigo trials."

"Oh my god, Laurel…" Sara says and turns the television up a notch more. "It's dad."

"Detective Lance, there are reports about the masked vigilante was responsible for rescuing your daughter," a blonde reporter asks. "Do you believe that these incidences are connected?"

"The information on my daughter's case is not yet public information. My daughter was a victim of a drug trafficker - a rapist. I don't know what kind of ratings stunt you're trying to pull by connecting these incidences, but I refuse to answer any more questions."

The camera pans back to the news station, and Laurel can't even think anymore. She shakily takes her mug of steaming coffee from her coffee table. She sips it and wraps her hands around the mug to warm the chill running down her spine.

"All of this is connected," Sara finally says. "Adam Hunt has ties with Count Vertigo."

"There's prosecutors that get paid to throw a case," Laurel says. "This was my punishment for not rolling over. I should have just…"

"No, fuck that," Sara says. "None of this - none of it was your fault. You were doing your job! It's their fault...Adam Hunt, Count Vertigo, the judge, and anyone else that was trying to cover up everyone else's dirty shit in this city."

"He knows who's responsible," Laurel says.

"Who?" Sara asks.

"You know…"

"Oh," Sara says.

"If only I knew who he was," she says. "He could tell me…"

"What would we be able to do if we knew though? It sounds like everyone's being paid off to protect these people."

"They're never going to let me go back to work," Laurel says. "They'll use my kidnapping as an excuse to see me psychologically unfit to work."

"We'll find a way around it," Sara insists. "Dad should know people in the courts that can help. Besides, we have Oliver's charity to hold us over for awhile."

Oliver…

Her dad said that he had called about her. Laurel had meant to call him back, but it's all just been too much. She tells herself she'll be ready soon, but there's a part of her that just can't. She fears that she may never have the courage to speak with him again.

…

"In other news, vaccinations for V will be delayed temporarily. A rare side effect has been documented within two of the patients during the trial period. These effects are uncommon in patients, and scientists believe an improved vaccine will be out within a month."

Oliver switches off the television set and turns to Tommy. "We took those vaccinations. I gave them to my mom and my sister."

And Laurel...

"The side effects are rare," Tommy reassures. "None of them are life threatening. My dad was telling me one patient could change her eye color at will. It's weird, but it won't kill us. Chances are we will be left unaffected, anyways."

"You know, I'm damn tired of hearing everything on the news these days. It's about my reappearance. These vaccines going wrong," he feels a surge of rage before he says, "Those fucking idiots on Fox News accusing Laurel of lying about what happened to her."

There's an awkward pause before Tommy asks, "How's she doing?"

"I talked to her dad," he replies. "He says she's having a hard time. I thought about maybe trying to visit her sometime."

"You should," Tommy says. "I'm sure she could really use a friend right now."

"I know I should, but when?" Oliver says. "When is the right time...she's grieving. Seeing me after all these years...it might just make it worse.

"I think you should go right now."

Oliver raises his eyebrow and glances over at Tommy. "Right now?"

"The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be for both of you," Tommy says.

Oliver leans back in his recliner and releases a big sigh. All this time has passed. She didn't even get a formal breakup. She woke up one day to a missing boyfriend. How long did she wait for him to come back? When was the day she finally gave up hope? Then, after going through all of that, she's kidnapped by some sick psycho. Oliver laces his hands together. The night he rescued her is still burned in the back of her mind. The look in her eyes, her tears - she must still be suffering so much.

"You should go. I'll take you."

Oliver looks over his shoulder to see John Diggle entering the room. It's agitating that this man is constantly invading his privacy, but he lets his frustration subside for a moment. The man means well, and perhaps he has some worthwhile advice.

"I have suffered the loss of someone I will never see again," Diggle says. "Dinah Laurel Lance was assumed to be dead for months, Mr. Queen. You're fortunate to have the opportunity to have her back in your life."

Oliver shifts in his seat uncomfortably. It's going to be hard especially for Laurel. He was a selfish boy when he left on the Queen's Gambit, but he cannot be even a fraction of that person today. Oliver rises from his seat and glances over to Diggle.

"Alright," he says. "We'll go."

Diggle gives him a small encouraging nod. Perhaps they started off on the wrong foot. Avoiding John Diggle for his nighttime activities will be difficult, but he's less resistant to the idea of having him around.

…

It's hard being alone especially at night. Laurel's not sure why she convinced herself she needed space. It seemed like such a good idea, and she thought it might help her move on. And now, she's just trapped with all these thoughts in her head. Her hand is tightly gripped to her phone, and she's trying to talk herself into calling Sara.

Knock! Knock!

Laurel flinches in her seat. Her entire body seems to go numb and slowly she places the phone on her coffee table. She slowly rises from where she sits, and each step towards her door is agonizing. It's him. Vertigo's here to take her back to that hell. Her heart rate increases as she gets closer to the door. She peeks through the peephole, and her tensions dissipate. It's Oliver.

Laurel presses her left hand against the door and breathes. Her energy feels split in two. There's a part of her that really just wants to see him again, but there's this darker part that wants to push her far away from her. She almost doesn't even answer the door, but the feeling of being alone is too much for her to take.

Laurel's hands tremble as she unlatches the chain on her door. She hesitates as her hand touches the brass knob. It takes her a few more moments to turn the knob and pull the door open. And, there he stands with a bouquet of white roses. His tries to smile, and she does her best to attempt a smile herself.

"Oliver…"

"Laurel…"

Time feels so non-existent. It's like they've fallen into some sort of limbo. It almost as if nothing even exists but the both of them.

Laurel's lips part. She's supposed to say something - anything - but she just can't. Oliver offers her the bouquet of flowers. Their fingers brush graze each other, and it sends a soft shiver through her. Her eyes flicker up to his as she draws the flowers close to her. She's caught between the thousand different questions and words that are floating in her head.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

Laurel can only muster a small, tight nod. A chill runs down her spine as he crosses the threshold of her apartment. He closes the door behind him, and she feels a shiver run through her. It's doesn't feel real, but he's here in front of her.

It takes her a moment, but she returns to her living room without a word. Laurel sets the roses on the coffee table. She stares at them. They're absolutely beautiful, but somehow, it just pains her to even look at them. Her body starts to tremble again. There's this emotional tug-of-war raging within her, and she's only a sliver away from falling apart.

Laurel shields her eyes with her right hand and says, "I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to be sorry for anything."

Oliver takes a few steps towards her. Laurel lowers hand from her eyes and forces herself to look into his eyes. And, all at once, she falls apart. She's sobbing uncontrollably as her hands clutch desperately to Oliver's button down shirt. Her head is rested against him, and his arms are around her.

She's glad he doesn't condescendingly shush her or tell her it's okay. She's so grateful for that, because she's just tired of hearing how okay it is now from people. It never will be okay. He's just there, and that's what she really needs - someone to lean on.

"I'm sorry…" she can barely speak between her sobs, but she manages. "I just - I must look like a mess. I'm so weak, and I'm so…"

"No, Laurel, you're not weak. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through, and all I know is that right now, you are the strongest person I know."

No, I'm not. She almost says it outloud, but she doesn't. If I were stronger...if I were smarter, none of this would have happen. It's this thought that she can't shake. Her sister tries to convince her, but she just doesn't believe it. If she hadn't pushed so hard at work, if she had looked before she opened the door that night, if she would have done so many things differently...nothing would have happened. It's all my fault.

She breaks down into another fit of sobs. "You know, my mom, she ran off after it all happen. Those three months - all that time - I thought she was looking for me. But no, she just jumped into her car and disappeared into the night."

"I'm sorry…"

"What for? It's not your fault," she says. "She left. My own mother abandoned my family, and now she's off doing god knows what in some other state. Is she just too damn embarrassed? Or maybe she just doesn't give a shit at all."

"You, your dad, and Sara deserve better."

His are true, and they should comfort her. But no, they make her anger. She feels all her rage tighten within her, and all she wants to do is scream. She can't though. Her jaw clenches as she says, "I don't even care if she comes back at all."

Laurel waits for him to scold her. She waits to hear you don't mean that or you're just upset right now. He doesn't say anything. He just strokes her hair and holds her.

Oliver withdraws from her and takes both her hands is his. He's looking down at her with glossy eyes, and it takes everything in her not to break down again.

"Could you stay with me?" she says. "I'm going to text, Sara. But, could you stay here until she gets back? It won't be long."

"Laurel, I will stay here as long as you need me."

She can't smile, but her heart sparks for just a moment. "Thank you, Oliver."