Nyssa's stomach flipped at the sound of her name. Impossible. Her head snapped up and a look of sheer disbelief spread across her face. "Sara?" she whispered. Nyssa was rooted where she stood so Sara slowly walked to her.

Ra's smiled and left the room.

Sara stopped when their faces were only inches apart. Nyssa's mouth was still slightly agape in shock. She pulled off her gloves and raised her hands to rest on either side of Sara's face. "Sara. My Sara." A tear streamed down Nyssa's cheek. "You are alive. But how?"

"Oh, Nyssa." Sara pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's such a long story, and one that I will tell you, but not right now. I'm just so happy to see you."

Nyssa laughed. "As am I! Now, let me look at you." She cradled Sara's face in her hands and looked at her intently.

After a minute Sara placed her hands over Nyssa's to bring her out of her reverie. "Hey, talk to me. What are you thinking?"

Nyssa gave a strained smile and let the tears fall freely down her face. "I am studying the features of the woman I love. This is a face I never thought I would see again in this life."

Sara wiped away Nyssa's tears as a few of her own trickled down.

"I'm so sorry," Sara whispered as she hugged her close. "I'm sorry you had to go through this. Believe me, it's not what I wanted, but now we are free."

"Free," Nyssa smiled into Sara's hair as she repeated the word.

They stood there wrapped together for a long time until Sara broke the silence. "Babe?"

"Hmm?" Nyssa took a small step back to look at her.

"I'm exhausted from everything that has happened the past 24 hours and I don't think I can stay standing for another minute. Come to bed with me?"

Nyssa's expression split into an ear-to-ear smile. "I would have given absolutely anything to hear you say those words again. Let's go."

Sara woke up and smiled when she saw Nyssa still asleep beside her. She reached over to brush a stray lock of hair from her face and she stirred. Nyssa smiled and kept her eyes closed.

"Am I dreaming?"

Sara laughed. "No, why?"

Nyssa opened her eyes and put a hand to Sara's cheek. "Good. Just making sure."

They laid together in silence for several minutes until Nyssa spoke again. "Sara, I need you to help me with something."

Sara was surprised to hear a serious tone in her voice and turned to look Nyssa in the eye. "Anything - you know I'll do anything for you."

Nyssa smiled. "I know. And don't look so concerned; nothing is wrong. It's just something that my father told me last night."

Sara's curiosity was piqued. "What was it?"

"He said he wants me to find my humanity again, like I once had as a child. I don't think I know how to do that. For nearly two decades I have learned that anything is worth the cost of justice and that my number one focus is kill or be killed. That's the life I know."

Sara held Nyssa's hand. "Well, you certainly won't have to go through this alone. It's something I have to figure out too. I need to turn away from the darkness. Like I've told you before - no more killing."

"No more killing." Nyssa repeated the words as though it was the first time such a thought had ever entered her mind. The concept felt completely foreign to her.

Sara laughed. "Don't sound so surprised! It is possible to go a week without killing someone, Nyssa, and I think you'll learn to like it."

Nyssa smiled. "Oh, how I missed that laugh, and the way your eyes light up when you smile."

Sara kissed her softly on the lips. "I missed you too."

After a moment Nyssa pulled back, smirked, and said, "This doesn't mean you'll make me give up fighting altogether and reduce me to merely, I don't know... gardening, will you?"

Sara laughed again, harder this time. "I actually think I like the idea of having a garden. But to be honest, I do know we wouldn't be ourselves if we weren't fighting for a cause we believed in. We will keep fighting, but we won't keep killing. I think we owe it to ourselves and our new life together to give that a try, don't you?"

Nyssa nodded. "Yes, and that I can live with. You know, I don't think I fully realized before how much you have changed me."

Sara smiled. "Really? You seem like the same woman I first met nearly six years ago. What did I change?"

"I can just see it so much better now after I spent months feeling that I had lost you forever. I can't describe to you the grief that tormented my mind and my heart. And then my father turned my world upside down by offering my birthright to another and I felt completely alone. He said he wanted me to have a normal life full of happiness and love, and truthfully I couldn't even imagine what that would look like for me. I admitted to him that it was a concept I had entertained when you and I were together, that maybe someday we would want to try to have a 'normal' life together. But with you gone the idea of trying to start that kind of life felt like it just mocked your memory. I couldn't even imagine finding another person with whom I would want to bind myself, both body and soul, like I had with you. When my father told me I was no longer the Heir, I could think of no purpose or direction for my life. But when I heard your voice as you said my name and I saw you again... Everything changed. In that instant, I was able to let go of my stubbornness and pride and even the League. I realized none of that was more important to me than you were and are."

"Oh, Nyssa." Sara threw her arms around her neck and held her tight. "You see," she whispered, "you are already changing. Of course you've had your pride and strong independence, but that is just part of who you are. You are also good and brave and loving. That is what I've always seen in you."

Nyssa smiled and leaned in to kiss her. They laid there together for a long while, each thinking about what the future might bring for them. Finally Nyssa spoke again, "Well, I know the next thing we need to do."

"What's that?"

"We need to get you home to see your friends and family. I can't keep you all to myself in a time such as this. They also deserve the joy and relief of seeing you and feeling you in their arms again. Oliver and Mr. Diggle will be leaving this morning to return to Starling City. We should join them."

Sara smiled. "Nyssa, I love you. Nothing would make me happier, especially because you will be with me. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since you left Starling, has it?"

Nyssa laughed. "Indeed it hasn't, and I'll just assume that this time they won't keep me behind bars. Sara, you can't even imagine how happy they all will be to see you again. I wish I could just be here for days and keep you to myself, but they deserve better than that."

Sara smiled. "I know what you mean. But don't worry, we have the rest of our lives to spend together." Sara sat up. "Should we grab our things and get over to the helicopter pad now?"

Nyssa groaned, "Heavens, no. They won't leave for at least a good hour so neither will we." They both laughed as Sara was pulled back down to the bed.

About an hour later Sara and Nyssa walked out toward the helicopter with knapsacks flung over their backs. Sara braced herself for two more back-from-the-dead greetings she was about to receive from Oliver and Diggle. As excited as she was to see all the people she cared about again, she honestly dreaded it too. She had only had to go through it with Nyssa so far this time around, but she had come back from the dead already for most of these people, and twice now with Oliver. It was emotionally exhausting. Sara hated seeing in each of their faces that expression of relief mixed with pain, grief, wonder, and the slightest tinge of betrayal - betrayal for having been alive all this time while everyone else was deceived. It was the exact reaction she received from Laurel when she found out Sara was alive, and that was the reaction she dreaded most.

"Sara!" Oliver called out as soon as he saw her. He walked right up and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're okay. I missed you. We all did."

Sara pulled back and smiled. "I missed you too. I'm so sorry you had to go through this because of me."

Now Dig stepped up for his hug. "Don't you worry about that, Sara. We understand why you did what you did. And guess what?"

Sara looked curious. "What?"

Diggle smiled. "In your memory, Lyla and I named our baby Sara."

Sara gasped. "You didn't! And all because you thought I was dead."

Dig laughed. "Now it just makes for a good story! Besides, it wasn't in your memory because you had died - it was because of how you lived. We named our daughter after a friend who was brave, kind, selfless, and someone who fought for what she knew was right, just like we hope our daughter will one day. The best part is now she'll get to meet the person she was named after and be able to look up to you."

A tear slowly came down Sara's cheek as she smiled and threw her arms around Dig for another hug. "I am honored and can't wait to get to know her."

Oliver quickly pulled Nyssa aside while Sara and Diggle kept chatting. "So, it looks like you'll be coming back to Starling City with us?"

"Yes," she responded curtly.

Oliver had no idea how to broach this sensitive subject with her. "Look, Nyssa, I'm sorry about what happened. I had no idea -"

"Save your breath, Oliver. I know you weren't expecting my father to make you that offer. Neither was I, and it's just something we'll both have to figure out."

"Look, I just - I don't want this to drive a wedge through our group, especially with you coming back to Starling City."

"What exactly do you mean? Are you afraid I'll try to slit your throat in your sleep, or that I'll try to turn your friends against you and this ridiculous notion of you being Ra's al Ghul?"

"I don't think you'll do either. I just want you to know that I can't imagine how much of a blow this must be to you, and I'm sorry. I didn't expect this, and I definitely didn't go asking for it. I don't know what my answer will be, but I'll need my friends to help me figure it out."

"I don't want your sympathy. I am not going to kill you and I won't try to influence your friends one way or another. I am only tolerating your presence for Sara. There is nothing I crave more right now than to be with her, even though it means returning to your deteriorating city."

Oliver bit his tongue to avoid saying what was on his mind. He just forced a smile and announced, "It looks like our ride is ready to leave!" He put a hand on Sara's shoulder. "Let's go home."

Sara grinned and placed a hand on top of his. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

...Three hours later...

Sara's hand shook as she raised it to knock on the door. Laurel didn't know she was coming - she didn't even know she was still alive. Sara had told Oliver that her sister was the first person she wanted to see - she was sure it would be the hardest reunion, but Laurel deserved to see her more than anyone after what she had been through as part of Malcolm Merlyn's plan. Sara almost knocked but then hesitated again as she recalled the last time she had come back from the dead. Laurel had been furious and accused her of being the cause of every bad thing that had happened in their family's lives. Sara finally let out a long breath and knocked three times.

"Just a minute!" came Laurel's voice from the other side of the door.

Sara didn't even know what she would say.

Laurel opened the door and saw her sister. She stood rooted to the spot, frozen in shock. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes. "Sara?" she whispered.

Sara couldn't read her expression and still didn't know how her sister was going to react. "It's me, Laurel. I'm here, I'm okay."

The tears streamed down Laurel's face as she pulled her little sister into a hug. "Sara, how is this even possible? How are you alive? I never thought I would see you again!"

Sara hugged her closer, relieved to hear the happiness in her sister's voice. "I just barely got back to Starling and I had to see you first. I'm so sorry for what you had to go through."

Laurel stepped back to look her sister in the eye. "Don't be sorry, Sara. I don't even care right now about anything else. Come sit down and tell me everything."

The two sisters made themselves comfortable on Laurel's couch and Sara told her all that had happened. Laurel was riveted to the story the whole time and held onto her sister's hand.

"Sara, I can't believe everything you went through. This is crazy. I know Ra's al Ghul was the mastermind behind it all, but I'm still infuriated that Merlyn tricked me into thinking you were dead just to get me out of the way. I will always hate him for that, but honestly, it doesn't even matter to me right now because you're safe and you're here."

Sara smiled. "I have to say, I wasn't really sure how you would react to me coming back from the dead again."

Laurel laughed. "I don't blame you. I was pretty nasty to you the last time, but I think we've both grown a lot since then."

"That's definitely true." Sara sighed and let her head rest back on the couch. "It's good to be home."

Laurel smiled. "So now that you've come back from the dead yet again, and are officially released from the League, what do you plan to do?"

Sara perked up. "There are still people everywhere who need help to end their suffering. I don't know yet where we'll start, but Nyssa and I have agreed we can put the killing behind us and find other ways to bring about justice."

"That sounds amazing, Sara. You are my hero."

"And you're mine, Laurel. You know, you're the one who first really helped me see that I could change... That I could become a hero... That I was redeemable."

Laurel smiled and squeezed her hand. "So what's next, little sis?"

Sara stood up and extended a hand out to her sister. "Well, what do you say - are you ready to help me take on everyone else? Let's go see Dad first, and Ollie should have the group all rounded up in the foundry soon, telling them what happened to him in Nanda Parbat. Then it will be our turn to make a grand entrance and share our story."

Laurel smiled as she took Sara's hand and let her pull her up off the couch. "Let's do this."