Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow.
So, this will be the last chapter for this story until I can gain access to the next episode of season four. Which a lot of you will probably hate me for, considering how this chapter ends.
Star City
Night
"Sara got out, didn't she?" Quentin asked as he walked away from the witness and towards Laurel, "same story as the last three nights. A blonde woman attacked this girl but I didn't know what to make of it until tonight. She said she spoke in middle-eastern. Have you told Queen?"
"No," Laurel said and Quentin scoffed, "I know he'd see it the same way you would: that it's not Sara anymore, it's just something that needs to be put down."
"This is my daughter we're talking about." Quentin snarled.
"Then why did I find you with a gun aimed at her head." Laurel snapped immediately feeling guilty for the low blow.
"I'm not proud of that but now people are dying. Maybe if I had pulled the trigger, they wouldn't be." Quentin told her.
"I'm gonna go find Sara and hopefully I find her before you or Oliver." Laurel snapped as she whirled around and started to walk away.
"Laurel," Quentin's voice stopped her, "one way or another, you know Queen is gonna find out. And a Sara shaped grenade is gonna get launched into your relationship when he does. It'll be better if he finds out from you than another way."
Arrow Lair
Later
I'm considering firing the political strategist," Oliver said as he and Thea spared with eskrima sticks, "he wants me to break up with Laurel for my campaign."
"Yeah, maybe he was a little harsh," Thea said as she and Oliver stepped back, "but he's really good at his job, don't fire him."
Before Oliver could respond, a beeping went off. Oliver walked over to the computers and checked out what was wrong. He straightened up as he saw the problem.
"There's a code forty-seven at a night club on ninth. A blonde woman is causing quite a bit of trouble, might be our blonde murderess. Let's suit up." Oliver ordered.
Night club
Later
Black Canary ran up behind Sara as she was about to go after a Burnette on the floor. Tackling Sara from behind, she wrestled her sister to the ground and put her side baton to her throat, restraining.
"Run!" Black Canary shouted at the woman and she didn't need to be told twice.
Sara pried the side baton from her sister's grasp and jumped up. She was about to bring it down on Black Canary's head when an arrow soared through the air and knocked it out of her hand. Sara turned back and Green Arrow lowered his bow in shock.
"Sara." He breathed.
Sara snarled before she turned and ran. Green Arrow and Speedy were too stunned to even move as Sara jumped over a fence and disappeared into the night.
"You saw that right?" Speedy asked still stunned.
Green Arrow nodded slowly before looking over at Black Canary. Noting the lack of shock on her face, he realized she knew. She knew about Sara.
Arrow Lair
Later
"How long?" Oliver asked curtly as he put his bow back in its place on the display case.
"A few weeks after Ra's." Laurel said as they stood alone in the lair.
"Over four months then. And the bloodlust is worse because you brought her back from death?" Oliver asked and she nodded.
"And that's not the only problem, she's not herself. She's different." Laurel explained.
"Why didn't you come to me with this?" Oliver demanded.
"For what, your expertise on magical resurrections or that judgmental look on your face?" Laurel asked defensively.
"For help finding her Laurel before she gets hurt or she hurts someone else!" Oliver snapped and Laurel winced a little, "and if I have a judgmental look on my face, it's because you played with forces you can't control and now people are dying because of it!"
Oliver then stormed off, trying not to lash out at her. There would be time to argue later, now they had to find Sara. Oliver walked into the lower levels as the car entrance opened up and a police cruiser drove in, the entrance closing behind it. The driver's door opened and Quentin got out.
"We need to talk." Quentin said as he walked over to him.
"About Sara?" Oliver asked blankly.
"So she told you?" Quentin asked.
"Not exactly.' Oliver said and Quentin scoffed.
"Well you gotta admire her consistency. She keeps the death secret from me and the resurrection secret from you?" Quentin asked his voice full of frustration as he walked passed Oliver.
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked as he followed Quentin.
"I think there are certain situations where the word 'okay does not apply, this being one!" Quentin ranted.
"We're gonna find Sara." Oliver assured him.
"Good, because we got bigger problems." Quentin said as he held out a small, silver rectangle shape.
"What's this?" Oliver asked as he took it.
"Something Darhk wants me to deliver." Quentin said as he opened it to reveal a flash drive.
The pair walked over to the computer and Oliver put it into the computer. Pulling it up, Oliver and Quentin stared at the data on the screen for several moments before Oliver spoke.
"I recognize this from my time at Argus," Oliver said and Quentin looked over at him puzzled, "Long story. Basically, it's a computer virus designed to target and delete certain pieces of information. This is Argus level encryption, I can't crack it and even if I could, it would take too long."
"And in the meantime, Darhk would be wondering why I haven't made his delivery."
"I'm not sending you to break into a federal facility without backup," Oliver said he dialed a number on his phone and put it to his ear, "John, I need a favor."
Oliver and Laurel's apartment
Later
"What are you doing?" Laurel asked cautiously as she approached Olivero on the couch, on his laptop.
"Looking for a connection between Sara's victims." Oliver said curtly without looking up.
"Any luck?" Laurel asked.
"No." Oliver said shortly.
"Ollie…I know you're mad." Laurel said.
"You're damn right I'm mad," Oliver put the laptop on the table before standing up with an angry look on his face, "I thought we were in an honest relationship. I thought for once, the secrets and lies I had lived by for nine years were done. But I was wrong, seeing as two weeks into our relationship, you started lying to me."
"I thought if anyone would understand why I did this, it would be you." Laurel said angrily.
"That's the thing Laurel: I do understand why you did this," Oliver said and Laurel looked at him in disbelief, "not a day goes by I do not miss my parents, Tommy. And I would give almost anything to have them back. But this isn't Sara Laurel; you were there when Thea came out of the pit. It wore off in a few days, didn't it seem strange to you how Sara stayed like this for months? And how many people were you going to let die before you came clean? Because you didn't just lie to me, I'd be less mad if you had. No, you lied to Thea and Diggle to. You…"
Oliver suddenly trailed off and a look of realization crossed his face. Laurel, who feeling the weight of the truths crash down on her, watched puzzled as he went back to his laptop and started typing.
"Ollie, what is it?" Laurel asked.
"I figured out the connection," Oliver said as he turned the screen towards her so she could see a picture of the two victims side by side, "who do they both look like?"
"Thea." Laurel said as a pit of dread settled in her stomach.
Thea's apartment
Later
Oliver and Laurel rushed through the door and started up the stairs when they saw Thea. She was slumped against a wall, unconscious. Oliver kneeled own next to her, checking her over.
Star City Hospital, next day
Late afternoon
"Why would Sara go after Thea?" Laurel as asked Oliver as they stood outside the hospital room.
"I talked to Nyssa. Anyone who comes out of the pit will feel the impulse to kill, specifically the person who killed them. And Thea is technically the one who fired the arrows that killed Sara." Oliver explained as he ran a hand over his face.
"My god…this is all fault." Laurel said.
"Yes, it is your fault," Oliver snapped, his anger over what happened to his sister overshadowing his need to comfort her, "Nyssa warned you not to do this. When I was in Nanda Parbat, she told me that whatever happens was on you, but I couldn't even have imagined this. Sara has killed four people, attacked Thea and two others and we have no idea where she is. Do you finally understand what you have done?!"
Before Laurel could respond, a noise came from inside Thea's room. Their argument forgotten, Oliver and Laurel burst into the room to see Sara strangling Thea. Sara looked over at them and tossed Thea to the ground before jumping out the window. Oliver checked on Thea, making sure she was alright before looking over at Laurel with concerned eyes.
Arrow Lair
Night
"You sure you want to be here?" Diggle Thea as the four of them sat down around the table.
"I hated hospitals before all this. Now it's just another excuse to stay away." Thea said tiredly.
"At the hospital, I looked Sara in the eyes. She wasn't there." Oliver said.
"What do you mean?" Diggle asked as they all looked over at him.
"The pit was designed to work on the living, not the dead. It restored her body but all this is happening-"
"Because it didn't restore her soul." Laurel realized and Oliver nodded.
"We still need to find her. Sara was dead long before you moved into your apartment and she knew exactly which hospital room you were in." Oliver pointed.
"You think Sara can sense Thea somehow?" Laurel asked.
"We were both in the pit maybe that links us somehow." Thea guessed.
"And here I was just wrapping my head around Metahumans." Diggle shook his head.
"Maybe we can use this connection somehow." Thea suggested.
"Thea, you just got out of the hospital, I don't want to use you that way." Oliver told her.
"Well it's a good thing you're not in charge anymore." Thea said as she looked over at Diggle.
"We'll have her back, all of us." Diggle said and Oliver nodded reluctantly.
Verdant
Later
"I have to say it feels really weird being back here right now." Thea mentioned as she walked down the stairs.
"Don't worry, everyone' in position." Green Arrow assured her over the coms.
"It's nothing. To tell the truth, I don't think this is gonna actually work." Thea admitted.
As if to prove her wrong, one of the windows shattered as Sara jumped through it. Sara landed a few feet from Thea and looked at her hungrily.
"Or maybe not." Thea said before Sara lunged at her.
Thea thrown against the stairs as Green Arrow and Black Canary came out of their hiding spots. Spartan got Thea out of their as Green Arrow and Black Canary engaged Sara. Sara attacked Green Arrow savagely and he held back as not to hurt her. He was thrown into an old wooden post and when he emerged, Black Canary had a gun out, about to shoot Sara. Acting fast, Green Arrow pulled out an arrow and fired. It shot Sara in the back and she went down.
"Tranq Arrow. He explained and she walked over to her.
"You were right, there's nothing left inside of here." Laurel said as she aimed the gun at Sara but Oliver grabbed her hand.
"Then let's get it back. " Oliver said and she looked at him confused as he pulled out a cell phone and dialed.
"Oliver." A familiar voice answered.
"John." Oliver greeted.
"It's been a dog's age mate." Constantine noted.
"More than. Do you remember that favor you owe me?" Oliver asked.
"I hardly expected you to forget that." Constantine said.
"How quickly can you get to Star City? I need your help." Oliver told him.
Arrow Lair
Later
"So, you're going to perform an exorcism on my sister?" Laurel asked as Team Arrow and Constantine stood over the unmoving Sara.
"No, an exorcism is the removal of a demonic possession. What your sister needs is a restitutionem, the restoration of her soul to her body." Constantine explained.
"And you've done one of these before?" Thea asked.
"Once, about a year ago. But no worries, I'm sure it's like riding a bike." Constantine assured them.
"I'm sure we have a lot of work to do to prepare, I assume you brought the list?" Oliver asked and Constantine pulled out the list.
"Apologies mate; I didn't have time to translate that from its original Aramaic. You know, if I knew you were surrounded by so many pretty girls Oliver, I would have stopped by sooner." Constantine said as he looked from Laurel to Thea.
"Dig, get this to Lyla, have her use Argus to translate it." Oliver said as he gave Diggle the list before he and Constantine walked off.
Later, Constantine prepared the ritual as Team Arrow, plus Quentin, stood watching.
"Now, I've got enough juice to send myself and two of you to go the other realm and back, so." Constantine left it up to them to decide.
"I think it should be me. I mean, I'm the whole reason she's like this." Thea stepped forward.
"No offense love, but you're not exactly bringing out the best in Sara right now are you?" Constantine pointed out.
"Laurel." Oliver looked over at her and she nodded understanding what he meant.
The two of them stepped forward and Oliver offered his hand to her.
"Oh, one more thing," Constantine said and they turned to him, "whatever's locked Sara's soul away, it's not gonna give it up without a fight. So be ready. Now, on with the show."
Oliver and Laurel joined hands as Constantine began speaking lowly in a language none of them understood. The others looked around as the lights shorted out, the light in the lair the open flame near Sara's head. Sara opened her eyes, revealing pure white as she thrashed around and the lair began to tremble, like an earthquake. Laurel called out for Oliver when something happened. They dropped hands as the three of them appeared in some sort of thrown room. Oliver and Laurel quickly noted they were in their vigilante gear.
"Well, well I've had worse hangovers." Constantine said cheerfully as he stood up.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Oliver asked.
Someone cried out and Laurel fled the room, despite protests from her companions. Oliver and Constantine followed after her but they ran through a door and ended up back where they started.
"Well, this is new." Oliver quipped.
The person, Sara, Oliver realized with a start, cried out again. Laurel moved to follow it but Constantine stopped her.
"Well I'm not gonna just stand here." Laurel snapped.
"What we need is a tour guide." Constantine said as he pulled out a zippo.
He placed it on the ground before putting his hand over it. He began muttering so lowly that neither Oliver nor Laurel could understand what he was saying. Constantine stood up and the zippo floated into the air as it spun rapidly. Finally, it stopped as it pointed to one of the doors. Constantine pocketed the zippo and led them through the door. They found themselves in the room with the Lazarus pit. Two members of the League of Assassins moved to attack but Oliver was ready. He fired two arrows which incapacitated them. Laurel rushed over to Sara and started to pull her out as a cloaked man with a sword came in.
"Get to the pit, you need to work together to get her out. I'll take care of our new friend." Constantine told Oliver.
Oliver didn't need to be told twice. Oliver put his bow down once he reached the pit and started to pull Sara by her free hand while Constantine began fighting the swordsmen. Oliver pulled Laurel up to the pit and, together, they pulled Sara out.
The three of them were suddenly back in the lair. All the lights came back on as Oliver was hugged by Thea and Laurel by Quentin. They looked down at Sara, waiting. Then, Sara opened her eyes and sat up as Laurel got down on her knees and hugged her sister. Quentin then joined them and hugged both his daughter.
Oliver smiled slightly as he brought Thea closer to him and kissed her on the forehead. He was happy Sara was back, but things still needed to happen, Oliver thought as he eyed Laurel.
Oliver's campaign office, next day
Morning
Oliver and Thea were talking in his office when Laurel walked in. Thea, sensing the tension between them, stood up.
"So, uh, I'm gonna give you two a chance to talk." Thea said as she scurried out of there, closing the door behind her.
"You didn't come home last night." Laurel pointed out as she walked over to him.
"I've been busy." Oliver said dismissively as he moved some papers around.
"You're still mad." Laurel said and Oliver shook his head.
"No, I'm disappointed. Not in you, in myself," Oliver said and she looked at him confused, "almost every woman I've ever been with, I've ruined: Helena, McKenna, Sara. I ruined them all and I thought you were the exception. I was wrong, I ruined you to. You didn't learn to keep secrets like this from your parents, so I can only assume it was my influence."
"Ollie, I made my own choices. I messed up, I get it, but it was my fault, not yours." Laurel told him.
"And I love you too much to ruin you any further." Oliver said as if she hadn't spoken and Laurel tensed.
"Ollie…what are you saying?" Laurel asked not sure she wanted to know.
"I'm saying…that I'm gonna stay with Thea for the next couple days." Oliver told her and one could hear two hearts break at this.
"Ollie…" Laurel couldn't even speak as her through was suddenly dry.
"I can't change who I am, I can't…but I refuse to ruin you." Oliver said softly.
Oliver then kissed her softly on the forehead before walking passed her. Laurel did no move, standing there numbly as tears ran down her face. Oliver took one step after the other, each one like a knife to his heart, until he reached the door to his office. Oliver then pulled open the door and walked out, no one but those closest to him knowing the blank expression on his face was one he wore when he was in deep emotional pain.
Yes, they broke up. Before you get your pitch forks, allow me to explain why this needed to happen. It seems to me that there is a double standard when it comes to secrets on this show. Usually when someone keeps a secret, they just get a slap on the wrist, usually a scolding, and everything is fine by the end of the episode. But if it's Oliver that's been keeping the secret, suddenly it's a great sin to keep secrets. Well, this shows that there are consequences to keeping secrets.
And don't worry, this won't be like Olicity where they keep getting back together and breaking up or where they stayed broken up until the end of the story. It won't be a long break up, but it's a break up.
So, what do you guys think? Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.